Proverbs 17:23
It is wrong to accept a bribe to twist justice. [Living Bible]
A wicked person accepts a bribe under the table to derail the course of justice. [The Voice]
A sinful man receives pay in secret to change the right way into wrong-doing. [New Life Version]
Anyone who does wrong accepts favors in secret. Then they turn what is right into what is wrong. [New International Reader’s Version]
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justice: mishpat 4941 (Hebrew) judgment, ordinance, law, decision, judicial verdict; the Lord’s own just character and the standards by which human society is to be ordered. A nation’s welfare depends on keeping these since obedience in acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God brings blessings, while violation such as oppressing the poor, perverting courts, or abusing orphans and widows invites a curse to political or religious leaders who turn justice upside down.
pervert: natah 5186 (Hebrew) extend, spread, incline, bend, go down, wrest; the deliberate act of bending or turning both concrete motion and inner disposition of moral orientation regarding the Lord. Throughout Scripture, past action aligned with inner inclination guarantees future fulfillment.
sinful: rasha 7563 (Hebrew) guilty, ungodly, evil, condemned, criminal; morally wrong, actively hostile to God’s standards, including religious hypocrisy, national corruption, and individual accountability for the rebellion and oppression seen in the neglect of the needy, deceitful speech, unjust gain, and prideful self-reliance.
bribe: 7810 schochad (Hebrew) gift, present, reward, tribute; The word is specifically used in the context of giving something of value with the intent of securing favor or bending judgment through its corrupting power. It is treated in Scripture as a moral pollutant that blinds, perverts, and destroys equity among God’s people. Bribery is treated as a hallmark of societal collapse as it infects every level of leadership with rebellion against God’s established order.