Deuteronomy 16:19 - Easy To Read Version You must always be fair. You must not favor some people over other people. You must not take money to change your mind in judgment. Money blinds the eyes of wise people and changes what a good person will say. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 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. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition You shall not misinterpret or misapply judgment; you shall not be partial, or take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. American Standard Version (1901) 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. Common English Bible Don’t delay justice; don’t show favoritism. Don’t take bribes because bribery blinds the vision of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Catholic Public Domain Version and not so as to show favoritism to either side. You shall not accept a person's reputation, nor gifts. For gifts blind the eyes of the wise and alter the words of the just. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version 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. |
If that person gives money to someone,\par he will not charge interest on that loan.\par And that person will not take money\par to do bad things to innocent people.\par If a person lives like that good man,\par then he will always be near God. {\cf2\super [82]} \par
But you should also choose some of the people to be judges and leaders.
“Don’t do something just because everyone else is doing it. If a group of people are doing wrong, don’t join them. You must not let those people persuade you to do wrong things—you must do what is right and fair.
“If a poor man is being judged, sometimes people will support him because they feel sorry for him. You must not do that. {Support him only if he is right.}
If a person cheats to get things, then he will bring trouble to his family. But if a person is honest, then he will have no trouble.
\{You must be fair in judging people.\} If you let guilty people go free then you are not being fair to good people.
Don’t speak against someone without a good reason. And don’t tell lies.
They may drink too much and forget what the law says. Then they might take away all the rights of poor people.
Even a wise man will forget his wisdom,\par if someone pays him enough money.\par That money destroys his understanding.\par
Learn to do good things. Be fair with other people. Punish the people that hurt others. Help the children that have no parents. Help the women whose husbands are dead.”
Your rulers are rebels and friends of thieves. All of your rulers demand bribes—they accept money for doing wrong things. All of your rulers take pay for cheating people. Your rulers don’t try to help the children that have no parents. And your rulers don’t listen to the needs of the women whose husbands are dead.”
Good, honest people that refuse to hurt others for money—\{they will live through that fire\}. Those people refuse to take bribes. They refuse to listen to plans to murder other people. They refuse to look at plans for doing bad things.
They have grown big and fat\par \{from the evil things they have done\}.\par There is no end to the evil things they do.\par They will not plead the case\par of children that have no parents.\par They will not help those orphans.\par They will not let poor people\par be judged fairly.\par
If a person wants to borrow money, the good man lends him the money. And he does not charge interest on that loan. The good man refuses to be crooked. He is always fair with every person. People can trust him.
“‘In Jerusalem, you men take money to kill people. You people lend money and charge interest on those loans. You people cheat their neighbors just to make a little money. And you people have forgotten me.’ The Lord my Master said these things.
“You must be fair in judgment. You must not show special favor to poor people. And you must not show special favor to important people. You must be fair when you judge your neighbor.
People are good at doing bad things\par with both hands.\par Officials ask for bribes.\par Judges take money\par to change their decisions in court.\par “Important leaders” \{don’t make\par good and fair decisions\}.\par They do whatever they want to do.\par
The law is weak and not fair to people. Evil people win their fights against good people. So, the law is no longer fair. Justice doesn’t win anymore!
Peter began to speak: “I really understand now that to God every person is the same.
But Paul said to the soldiers, “Your leaders did not prove that we did wrong. But they beat us in front of the people and put us in jail. We are Roman citizens, {\cf2\super [342]} \{so we have rights\}. Now the leaders want to make us go quietly. No! The leaders must come and bring us out!”
Paul said to Ananias, “God will hit you too! You are like a \{dirty\} wall that has been painted white! You sit there and judge me, using the law \{of Moses\}. But you are telling them to hit me, and that is against the law \{of Moses\}.”
Why? Because the Lord is your God. He is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He is the great God. He is the amazing and powerful fighter. To the Lord every person is the same. The Lord does not accept money to change his mind.
“Choose men to be judges and officers in every town that the Lord your God gives you. Every family group must do this. And these men must be fair in judging the people.
“You must make sure that foreigners and orphans [151] are treated fairly. And you must never take clothes from a widow [152] as security. [153]
“{The Levites will say,} ‘Cursed is the person that does not give fair judgment for the foreigners, orphans, [177] and widows [178] !’
“{The Levites will say,} ‘Cursed is the person that takes money to kill an innocent person!’
Here I am. If I have done anything wrong, you must tell those things to the Lord and his chosen king. Did I steal anyone’s cow or donkey? Did I hurt or cheat anyone? Did I ever take money, or even a pair of shoes, to do something wrong? If I did any of these things, then I will make it right.”
But Samuel’s sons did not live the same way he did. Joel and Abijah accepted bribes. They took money secretly and changed their decisions in court. They cheated people in court.