Proverbs 17:23

They say continually to those who despise me, ‘Yahweh has said, “You will have peace;” ’ and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, ‘No evil will come on you.’

He executes justice for the fatherless and widow and loves the foreigner in giving him food and clothing.

“For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.

You shall say, ‘Not only that, but behold, your servant, Jacob, is behind us.’ ” For, he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”

“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.

“ ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.

Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”

You shall not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, nor take a widow’s clothing in pledge;

‘Cursed is he who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t Yahweh anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?

He said to his men, “Yahweh forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Yahweh’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is Yahweh’s anointed.”

for they call themselves citizens of the holy city, and rely on the God of Israel; Yahweh of Armies is his name.

They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t defend the rights of the needy.

Don’t trust in lying words, saying, ‘Yahweh’s temple, Yahweh’s temple, Yahweh’s temple, are these.’

Yahweh says concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; for those who feed their teeth, they proclaim, “Peace!” and whoever doesn’t provide for their mouths, they prepare war against him:

Don’t oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.’

Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, rest on the law, glory in God,

Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

He stayed there that night, and took from that which he had with him a present for Esau, his brother:

“You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous.

Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, and a container of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by David his son to Saul.

Now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.

Now therefore let the fear of Yahweh be on you. Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with Yahweh our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”

he who doesn’t lend out his money for usury, nor take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be shaken.

They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.

A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns, he prospers.

Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.

Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow.”

to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.

Then Yahweh said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in my name. I didn’t send them. I didn’t command them. I didn’t speak to them. They prophesy to you a lying vision, divination, and a thing of nothing, and the deceit of their own heart.

“ ‘ “Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood.

“Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Because you have forgotten me, and cast me behind your back, therefore you also bear your lewdness and your prostitution.’ ”

They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.

“All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house! I will love them no more. All their princes are rebels.

Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.

Please listen to this, you heads of the house of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice, and pervert all equity.

Her rich men are full of violence, her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their speech.

Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism;

I coveted no one’s silver, gold, or clothing.

For there is no partiality with God.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake.

My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality.

You have condemned and you have murdered the righteous one. He doesn’t resist you.

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;

For Yahweh your God, he is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the awesome, who doesn’t respect persons or take bribes.

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.

‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, fatherless, and widow.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

Among these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and pining of soul.

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.

These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.

His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

Here I am. Witness against me before Yahweh, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”

A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.

A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a bribe in the cloak, strong wrath.

Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They don’t defend the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them.

who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent!

In you have they taken bribes to shed blood. You have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me,” says the Lord Yahweh.

Her leaders judge for bribes, and her priests teach for a price, and her prophets of it tell fortunes for money: yet they lean on Yahweh, and say, “Isn’t Yahweh among us? No disaster will come on us.”

Meanwhile, he also hoped that money would be given to him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore also he sent for him more often and talked with him.