Isaiah 5:23
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who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.
Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
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to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.
You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.
They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.”
Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.
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.
A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;