"Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause." — Exodus 23:6

Exodus 23:6 · KJV

“Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.”

— Exodus 23:6

If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. {and...: or, wilt thou cease to help him? or, and wouldest cease to leave thy business for him: thou shalt surely leave it to join with him}

Verse 7

Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

Exodus 23 — Context

If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. {the wise: Heb. the seeing}

Cross References

Malachi 3:5

And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in {his} wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger {from his right}, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. {oppress: or, defraud}

Deuteronomy 27:19

Cursed {be} he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

James 2:5-6

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? {of the: or, of that}

Ecclesiastes 5:8

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for {he that is} higher than the highest regardeth; and {there be} higher than they. {at the... Heb. at the will, or, purpose}

Leviticus 19:15

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: {but} in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

Jeremiah 5:28

They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

Isaiah 10:1-2

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness {which} they have prescribed; {that write...: or, to the writers that write grievousness}

Exodus 23:2-3

Thou shalt not follow a multitude to {do} evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest {judgment}: {speak: Heb. answer}