Deuteronomy 16:19
New International Version
Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent.

New Living Translation
You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly.

English Standard Version
You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.

Berean Standard Bible
Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

King James Bible
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

New King James Version
You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

New American Standard Bible
You shall not distort justice, you shall not show partiality; and you shall not accept a bribe, because a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and distorts the words of the righteous.

NASB 1995
“You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

NASB 1977
“You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Amplified Bible
You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Christian Standard Bible
Do not deny justice or show partiality to anyone. Do not accept a bribe, for it blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do not deny justice or show partiality to anyone. Do not accept a bribe, for it blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not wrest justice: thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And do not turn away judgment and do not accept persons and do not accept a bribe, because a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise in judgment and changes the words of the innocent.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
they shall not wrest judgment, nor favour persons, nor receive a gift; for gifts blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And not go aside to either part. Thou shalt not accept person nor gifts: for gifts blind the eyes of the wise, and change the words of the just.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons: neither shalt thou take a gift; for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Never pervert justice. Instead, be impartial. Never take a bribe, because bribes blind wise people and deny justice to those who are in the right.

Good News Translation
They are not to be unjust or show partiality in their judgments; and they are not to accept bribes, for gifts blind the eyes even of wise and honest men, and cause them to give wrong decisions.

International Standard Version
You must not twist justice, show favoritism, or take bribes, because a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the speech of the righteous.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a gift; for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Literal Standard Version
You do not turn aside judgment; you do not discern faces, nor take a bribe, for the bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Majority Standard Bible
Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

New American Bible
You must not distort justice: you shall not show partiality; you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes even of the wise and twists the words even of the just.

NET Bible
You must not pervert justice or show favor. Do not take a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and distort the words of the righteous.

New Revised Standard Version
You must not distort justice; you must not show partiality; and you must not accept bribes, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

New Heart English Bible
You shall not wrest justice: you shall not respect persons; neither shall you take a bribe; for a bribe does blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift; for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

World English Bible
You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Young's Literal Translation
Thou dost not turn aside judgment; thou dost not discern faces, nor take a bribe, for the bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judges and Justice
18You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment. 19Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. 20Pursue justice, and justice alone, so that you may live, and you may possess the land that the LORD your God is giving you.…

Cross References
Exodus 18:21
Furthermore, select capable men from among the people--God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

Exodus 23:2
You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.

Exodus 23:3
And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.

Exodus 23:8
Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

Leviticus 19:15
You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

Deuteronomy 1:17
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it."

Deuteronomy 10:17
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.


Treasury of Scripture

You shall not wrest judgment; you shall not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift does blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

wrest

Deuteronomy 24:17
Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge:

Deuteronomy 27:19
Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Exodus 23:2,6-8
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: …

respect

Deuteronomy 1:16,17
And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him…

Deuteronomy 10:17
For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:

Exodus 23:7,8
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked…

words.

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Accept Blind Blinds Bribe Cause Decisions Distort Eyes Judging Judgment Justice Moved Partial Partiality Persons Pervert Perverts Position Respect Rewards Righteous Show Subverts Turn Twists Upright Wise Words Wrest
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Accept Blind Blinds Bribe Cause Decisions Distort Eyes Judging Judgment Justice Moved Partial Partiality Persons Pervert Perverts Position Respect Rewards Righteous Show Subverts Turn Twists Upright Wise Words Wrest
Deuteronomy 16
1. The feast of the Passover
9. of weeks
13. of tabernacles
16. Every male must offer, as he is able, at these three feasts
18. Of judges and justice
21. Asherah poles and images are forbidden














(19) See Exodus 23:6; Exodus 23:8.

Verse 19. - (Cf. Exodus 23:6, 8.) Respect persons (cf. Deuteronomy 1:17). Pervert the words [margin, matters] of the righteous; rather, the case or the cause of the righteous.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

deny
תַטֶּ֣ה (ṯaṭ·ṭeh)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

justice
מִשְׁפָּ֔ט (miš·pāṭ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

or show partiality.
תַכִּ֖יר (ṯak·kîr)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5234: To regard, recognize

Do not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

accept
תִקַּ֣ח (ṯiq·qaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

any bribes,
שֹׁ֔חַד (šō·ḥaḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7810: A present, bribe

for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

a bribe
הַשֹּׁ֗חַד (haš·šō·ḥaḏ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7810: A present, bribe

blinds
יְעַוֵּר֙ (yə·‘aw·wêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5786: To make blind, blind

the eyes
עֵינֵ֣י (‘ê·nê)
Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

of the wise
חֲכָמִ֔ים (ḥă·ḵā·mîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2450: Wise

and twists
וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף (wî·sal·lêp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5557: To twist, pervert, overturn

the words
דִּבְרֵ֥י (diḇ·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

of the righteous.
צַדִּיקִֽם׃ (ṣad·dî·qim)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6662: Just, righteous


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 16:19 You shall not wrest justice: you shall (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 16:18
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