who are always ready to do wrong ¹  or offer a bribe. ² 

For the company of the godless is barren, ¹  and fire ²  consumes the tents of those who accept bribes. ³ 

A wicked person receives a bribe secretly ¹  to pervert ²  the ways of justice.

They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff, they ignore the just cause of the innocent. ¹ 

‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

But his sons did not follow ¹  his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice. ² 

He will not consider ¹  any compensation; ²  he will not be willing, even if you multiply the compensation. ³ 

You must not pervert justice or show favor. Do not take a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and distort ¹  the words of the righteous. ² 

Then Ahaz took the silver and gold that were ¹  in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as tribute ²  to the king of Assyria.

Respect the Lord and make careful decisions, for the Lord our God disapproves of injustice, partiality, and bribery.” ¹ 

Your officials are rebels, ¹  they associate with ²  thieves. All of them love bribery, and look for ³  payoffs. ⁴  They do not take up the cause of the orphan, ⁵  or defend the rights of the widow. ⁶ 

They take bribes within you to shed blood. You engage in usury and charge interest; ¹  you extort money from your neighbors. You have forgotten me, ²  declares the sovereign Lord. ³ 

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who is unbiased and takes no bribe,

“I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made. ¹  See, I have sent you silver and gold as a present. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.” ²