Bribes

`And a bribe thou dost not take; for the bribe bindeth the open-<FI> eyed<Fi> , and perverteth the words of the righteous.

A dishonest gainer is troubling his house, And whoso is hating gifts liveth.

A gift in secret pacifieth anger, And a bribe in the bosom strong fury.

Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.

For I have known--many <FI>are<Fi> your transgressions, And mighty your sins, Adversaries of the righteous, taking ransoms, And the needy in the gate ye turned aside.

Thou dost not turn aside judgment; thou dost not discern faces, nor take a bribe, for the bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

A bribe from the bosom the wicked taketh, To turn aside the paths of judgment.

Without covetousness the behaviour, being content with the things present, for He hath said, `No, I will not leave, no, nor forsake thee,' — read the full passage →

for where zeal and rivalry <FI>are<Fi> , there is insurrection and every evil matter;

Thy princes <FI>are<Fi> apostates, and companions of thieves, Every one loving a bribe, and pursuing rewards, The fatherless they judge not, And the plea of the widow cometh not to them.

and his sons have not walked in his ways, and turn aside after the dishonest gain, and take a bribe, and turn aside judgment.

A stone of grace <FI>is<Fi> the bribe in the eyes of its possessors, Whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

`Cursed <FI>is<Fi> he who is taking a bribe to smite a person, innocent blood, --and all the people have said, Amen.

for Jehovah your God--He <FI>is<Fi> God of the gods, and Lord of the lords; God, the great, the mighty, and the fearful; who accepteth not persons, nor taketh a bribe;

Declaring righteous the wicked for a bribe, And the righteousness of the righteous They turn aside from him.

A king by judgment establisheth a land, And one receiving gifts throweth it down.

In whose hand <FI>is<Fi> a wicked device, And their right hand <FI>is<Fi> full of bribes.

For the company of the profane <FI>is<Fi> gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.

On the evil <FI>are<Fi> both hands to do <FI>it<Fi> well, The prince is asking--also the judge--for recompence, And the great--he is speaking the mischief of his soul, And they wrap it up.

His silver he hath not given in usury, And a bribe against the innocent Hath not taken; Whoso is doing these is not moved to the age!

and having been gathered together with the elders, counsel also having taken, they gave much money to the soldiers, — read the full passage →

if to the king <FI>it be<Fi> good, let it be written to destroy them, and ten thousand talents of silver I weigh into the hands of those doing the work, to bring <FI>it<Fi> in unto the treasuries of the king.'

Her heads for a bribe do judge, And her priests for hire do teach, And her prophets for silver divine, And on Jehovah they lean, saying, `Is not Jehovah in our midst? Evil doth not come in upon us.'

and at the same time also hoping that money shall be given to him by Paul, that he may release him, therefore, also sending for him the oftener, he was conversing with him;

Then Judas--he who delivered him up--having seen that he was condemned, having repented, brought back the thirty silverlings to the chief priests, and to the elders, saying, — read the full passage →

A bribe they have taken in thee to shed blood, Usury and increase thou hast taken, And cuttest off thy neighbour by oppression, And Me thou hast forgotten, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!

Whoso is walking righteously, And is speaking uprightly, Kicking against gain of oppressions, Shaking his hands from taking hold on a bribe, Stopping his ear from hearing of blood, And shutting his eyes from looking on evil,

To discern faces is not good, And for a piece of bread doth a man transgress.

and now, let fear of Jehovah be upon you, observe and do, for there is not with Jehovah our God perverseness, and acceptance of faces, and taking of a bribe.'

`Lo, here <FI>am<Fi> I; testify against me, over-against Jehovah, and over-against His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose ass have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide mine eyes with it? --and I restore to you.'

and the princes of the Philistines come up unto her, and say to her, `Entice him, and see wherein his great power <FI>is<Fi> , and wherein we are able for him--and we have bound him to afflict him, and we--we give to thee, each one, eleven hundred silverlings.'

The gift of a man maketh room for him, And before the great it leadeth him.

because nothing shall be impossible with God.'

with Christ I have been crucified, and live no more do I, and Christ doth live in me; and that which I now live in the flesh--in the faith I live of the Son of God, who did love me and did give himself for me;

Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it <FI>are<Fi> the outgoings of life.

Do not gather with sinners my soul, And with men of blood my life, — read the full passage →

And God saith unto Moses, `I AM THAT WHICH I AM;' He saith also, `Thus dost thou say to the sons of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.'

and to Him who is able above all things to do exceeding abundantly what we ask or think, according to the power that is working in us,

Be not led astray; God is not mocked; for what a man may sow--that also he shall reap,

and they rejoiced, and covenanted to give him money,

but seek ye first the reign of God and His righteousness, and all these shall be added to you.

Whoso is walking righteously, And is speaking uprightly, Kicking against gain of oppressions, Shaking his hands from taking hold on a bribe, Stopping his ear from hearing of blood, And shutting his eyes from looking on evil, — read the full passage →

For a Child hath been born to us, A Son hath been given to us, And the princely power is on his shoulder, And He doth call his name Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

`Judges and authorities thou dost make to thee within all thy gates which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, for thy tribes; and they have judged the people--a righteous judgment.

For all things I have strength, in Christ's strengthening me;

Jesus saith to him, `I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one doth come unto the Father, if not through me;

and having heard, they were glad, and promised to give him money, and he was seeking how, conveniently, he might deliver him up.

`What are ye willing to give me, and I will deliver him up to you?' and they weighed out to him thirty silverlings,

Woe <FI>to<Fi> the mighty to drink wine, And men of strength to mingle strong drink. — read the full passage →

And this know thou, that in the last days there shall come perilous times, — read the full passage →

He hath declared to thee, O man, what <FI>is<Fi> good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except--to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?

Treasures of wickedness profit not, And righteousness delivereth from death.

`A covenant <FI>is<Fi> between me and thee, between my father and thy father; lo, I have sent to thee a reward of silver and gold; go, break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, and he goeth up from off me.'

`Ye do not do perversity in judgment; thou dost not lift up the face of the poor, nor honour the face of the great; in righteousness thou dost judge thy fellow.

the Lord is not slow in regard to the promise, as certain count slowness, but is long-suffering to us, not counselling any to be lost but all to pass on to reformation,

all your care having cast upon Him, because He careth for you.

And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction,

for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;

and all, whatever ye may do--out of soul work--as to the Lord, and not to men,

If, then, ye were raised with the Christ, the things above seek ye, where the Christ is, on the right hand of God seated, — read the full passage →

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timotheus the brother, — read the full passage →

whoso is stealing let him no more steal, but rather let him labour, working the thing that is good with the hands, that he may have to impart to him having need.

these things I have spoken to you, that in me ye may have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, but take courage--I have overcome the world.'

And done upon them great vengeance with furious reproofs, And they have known that I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah, In My giving out My vengeance on them!

For I have known the thoughts that I am thinking towards you--an affirmation of Jehovah; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give to you posterity and hope.

Be not afraid, for with thee I <FI>am<Fi> , Look not around, for I <FI>am<Fi> thy God, I have strengthened thee, Yea, I have helped thee, yea, I upheld thee, With the right hand of My righteousness.

Woe <FI>to<Fi> those decreeing decrees of iniquity, And writers who have prescribed perverseness. — read the full passage →

Woe <FI>to<Fi> the mighty to drink wine, And men of strength to mingle strong drink.

Give instruction to a youth about his way, Even when he is old he turneth not from it.

lo, I have stood at the door, and I knock; if any one may hear my voice, and may open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

he who is not loving did not know God, because God is love.

be subject, then, to God; stand up against the devil, and he will flee from you;

for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.

so speak ye and so do, as about by a law of liberty to be judged,

and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what <FI>is<Fi> the will of God--the good, and acceptable, and perfect.

And Peter said unto him, `Thy silver with thee--may it be to destruction! because the gift of God thou didst think to possess through money; — read the full passage →

`None is able to serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye are not able to serve God and Mammon.

Why <FI>is<Fi> this to Me? frankincense from Sheba cometh, And the sweet cane from a land afar off, Your burnt-offerings <FI>are<Fi> not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet to Me.

Strength and honour <FI>are<Fi> her clothing, And she rejoiceth at a latter day.

and My people on whom My name is called be humbled, and pray, and seek My face, and turn back from their evil ways, then I--I hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin, and heal their land.

`Have not I commanded thee? be strong and courageous; be not terrified nor affrighted, for with thee <FI>is<Fi> Jehovah thy God in every <FI>place<Fi> whither thou goest.'

and ye <FI>are<Fi> a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired, that the excellences ye may shew forth of Him who out of darkness did call you to His wondrous light;

Be confessing to one another the trespasses, and be praying for one another, that ye may be healed; very strong is a working supplication of a righteous man;

for a root of all the evils is the love of money, which certain longing for did go astray from the faith, and themselves did pierce through with many sorrows;

For I wish you to know how great a conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, — read the full passage →

for nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer, and by supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God;

And the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,

and Peter said unto them, `Reform, and be baptized each of you on the name of Jesus Christ, to remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,

greater love than this hath no one, that any one his life may lay down for his friends;

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Israel, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of their selling for silver the righteous, And the needy for a pair of sandals.

And lo, I have smitten My hand, Because of thy dishonest gain that thou hast gained, And for thy blood that hath been in thy midst.

Yea, ye pierce Me concerning My people, For handfuls of barley, And for pieces of bread, to put to death Souls that should not die, And to keep alive souls that should not live, By your lying to My people--hearkening to lies.

Woe <FI>to<Fi> those rising early in the morning, Strong drink they pursue! Tarrying in twilight, wine inflameth them! — read the full passage →

Seek judgment, make happy the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, strive <FI>for<Fi> the widow.

Better <FI>is<Fi> a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife. — read the full passage →

every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;

What, then, shall we say unto these things? if God <FI>is<Fi> for us, who <FI>is<Fi> against us?

For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time <FI>are<Fi> not worthy <FI>to be compared<Fi> with the glory about to be revealed in us;

and God doth commend His own love to us, that, in our being still sinners, Christ did die for us;