Isaiah 5:23

and ye justify a wicked man for gifts, and ye take away the rightfulness of a just man from him. (and ye acquit the wicked for gifts, or for bribes, and ye deny justice for the righteous.)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

In Context

22Woe to you that be mighty to drink wine, and be strong to meddle drunkenness; (Woe to you who be mighty to drink wine, and be strong to mix up drunkenness;)

24For this thing, as the tongue of fire devoureth stubble, and the heat of flame burneth, so the root of them shall be as a dead spark, and the seed of them shall ascend as dust; for they casted away the law of the Lord of hosts, and blasphemed the speech of the Holy of Israel, (or for they threw away the Law of the Lord of hosts, and blasphemed the word of the Holy One of Israel).

Read all of Isaiah 5

Cross References

Exodus 23:6Thou shalt not bow [away] from truth in the doom of a poor man. (Thou shalt not turn away from the truth in the judgement of a poor person.)

1 Kings 21:13and when two men, (the) sons of the devil, were brought (in), they made them to sit against him (or they had them sit opposite him), and they, that is, as men of the devil, said (false) witnessing against him before all the multitude, (saying), Naboth blessed God, and the king, that is, Naboth hath cursed God, and the king; for which thing they led him without the city, and killed him with stones.

Psalms 94:21They shall take (hold) against the soul of a just man; and they shall condemn innocent blood. (For they gather themselves together against the life of the righteous; and they condemn the innocent to death.)

Proverbs 17:23A wicked man taketh gifts from the bosom, to mis-turn the paths of doom. (A wicked person accepeth secret gifts, or bribes, to pervert the course of justice.)

Proverbs 31:4A! Lemuel, do not thou give wine to kings; for no private there is, where drunkenness reigneth. (O Lemuel! do not thou give wine to kings; for there is no secret place, where drunkenness can reign.)

Isaiah 1:23Thy princes be unfaithful, the fellows of thieves; all love gifts, and follow yieldings, either meeds; they deem not to a fatherless child, and the cause of a widow entereth not to them. (Thy leaders be unfaithful, the friends of thieves; all of them love gifts, and follow after bribes, or rewards; they do not judge favourably for a fatherless child, and a widow’s case never even cometh before them.)

Matthew Henry on Isaiah 5:19-30

Denunciations against Sin. ( b. c. 758.) 18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: 19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in… Read the whole commentary →

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