Leviticus 19:15
New International Version
“’Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

New Living Translation
“Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.

English Standard Version
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

Berean Standard Bible
You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

New American Standard Bible
‘You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not show partiality to the poor nor give preference to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

NASB 1995
‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

NASB 1977
‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

Legacy Standard Bible
‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.

Amplified Bible
‘You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor show a preference for the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

Christian Standard Bible
“Do not act unjustly when deciding a case. Do not be partial to the poor or give preference to the rich; judge your neighbor fairly.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You must not act unjustly when deciding a case. Do not be partial to the poor or give preference to the rich; judge your neighbor fairly.

American Standard Version
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.

Contemporary English Version
Be fair, no matter who is on trial--don't favor either the poor or the rich.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Don't be corrupt when administering justice. Never give special favors to poor people, and never show preference to important people. Judge your neighbor fairly.

Good News Translation
"Be honest and just when you make decisions in legal cases; do not show favoritism to the poor or fear the rich.

International Standard Version
"You are not to be unjust in deciding a case. You are not to show partiality to the poor or honor the great. Instead, decide the case of your neighbor with righteousness."

Majority Standard Bible
You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

NET Bible
"'You must not deal unjustly in judgment: you must neither show partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. You must judge your fellow citizen fairly.

New Heart English Bible
"'You shall do no injustice in judgment: you shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.

World English Bible
“‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You do not do perversity in judgment; you do not lift up the face of the poor, nor honor the face of the great; you judge your fellow in righteousness.

Young's Literal Translation
'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.

Smith's Literal Translation
Ye shall not do evil in judgment; thou shalt not take up the face of the poor; thou shalt not reverence the face of the great: in justice shalt thou judge thy neighbor.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not do that which is unjust, nor judge unjustly. Respect not the person of the poor, nor honour the countenance of the mighty. But judge thy neighbour according to justice.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You shall not do what is unjust, nor shall you judge unjustly. You shall not consider the reputation of the poor, nor shall you honor the countenance of the powerful. Judge your neighbor justly.

New American Bible
You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your neighbor justly.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor, nor respect the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You shall not do evil in judgment and you shall not accept the face of the poor neither the face of the great, but in righteousness judge your fellow man.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor favour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou shalt not act unjustly in judgment: thou shalt not accept the person of the poor, nor admire the person of the mighty; with justice shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Love Your Neighbor
14You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD. 15You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly. 16You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 1:17
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”

James 2:1-4
My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism. / Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. / If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,” ...

Exodus 23:2-3
You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd. / And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.

Proverbs 24:23
These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.

Deuteronomy 16:19
Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

James 2:9
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Proverbs 18:5
Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice.

John 7:24
Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”

2 Chronicles 19:6-7
Then he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do, for you are not judging for man, but for the LORD, who is with you when you render judgment. / And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”

Isaiah 11:3-4
And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear, / but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.

Matthew 22:16
They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.

Job 34:19
who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.

Romans 2:11
For God does not show favoritism.

Acts 10:34
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,

Colossians 3:25
Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.


Treasury of Scripture

You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: you shall not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

Leviticus 19:35
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.

Exodus 18:21
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

Exodus 23:2
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

Jump to Previous
Defer Face Fairly Favoritism Favour Fellow Great Honor Honour Injustice Judge Judging Judgment Justice Lowly Mighty Neighbor Neighbour Partial Partiality Perversity Pervert Poor Position Respect Righteousness Show Thought Unrighteousness Wrong
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Defer Face Fairly Favoritism Favour Fellow Great Honor Honour Injustice Judge Judging Judgment Justice Lowly Mighty Neighbor Neighbour Partial Partiality Perversity Pervert Poor Position Respect Righteousness Show Thought Unrighteousness Wrong
Leviticus 19
1. A repetition of various laws














You must not pervert justice
The Hebrew root for "pervert" is "natah," which means to bend or turn aside. In the context of justice, it implies a deviation from what is right and true. The command here is a divine mandate to uphold the integrity of the judicial process. Historically, justice was a cornerstone of Israelite society, reflecting God's own nature as just and righteous. This phrase calls believers to maintain a standard of truth and fairness, resisting any temptation to distort justice for personal gain or societal pressure.

you must not show partiality to the poor
The Hebrew word for "partiality" is "nasa," meaning to lift up or regard. This phrase warns against the human tendency to favor those who are disadvantaged, perhaps out of sympathy or a desire to appear compassionate. While the Bible consistently advocates for the care of the poor, it also insists that justice must remain impartial. This reflects God's character, who is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), and calls believers to emulate His fairness in all dealings.

or favoritism to the rich
The term "favoritism" in Hebrew is "hadar," which means to honor or glorify. This phrase addresses the opposite temptation: to favor the wealthy due to their influence or potential benefit. In ancient times, as today, the rich often wielded significant power, and there was a risk of justice being swayed by their status. The scripture here is a reminder that true justice is blind to wealth and status, aligning with the biblical principle that all are equal before God (Proverbs 22:2).

you are to judge your neighbor fairly
The Hebrew word for "judge" is "shaphat," which means to govern or make decisions. The term "fairly" is derived from "tsedeq," meaning righteousness or equity. This phrase encapsulates the heart of the command: to render decisions that are just and equitable, reflecting God's own righteous judgment. In the historical context, judges were expected to be God's representatives on earth, and their judgments were to mirror His perfect justice. For believers, this is a call to live out God's righteousness in all interactions, ensuring that our judgments are free from bias and rooted in truth.

(15) Do no unrighteousness in judgment.--That is, the judges are not to abuse the authority vested in them by virtue of their office, by administering what ought to be justice in an arbitrary manner.

Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor.--The general statement in the preceding clause is here more minutely defined. The consideration for the infirm enjoined in Leviticus 19:14 is not to influence the decision of the judge, who is to administer justice, even if the poor is thereby reduced to greater poverty, and though the rich party to the suit may benevolently desire a verdict against himself to save the needy (Exodus 23:3). The authorities during the second Temple illustrate it as follows:--"If the rich man should say I am by law obliged to provide for the poor, I will therefore let him win the suit, and he will thus have his wants supplied without being subjected to the humiliation of receiving alms; for this reason it is said thou shalt not respect the person of the poor."

Nor honour the person of the mighty.--Jewish juries, in their extreme desire to be impartial, have gone so far as to urge, that whilst the case between a rich man and a poor is being tried, they should both be dressed alike, both alike should either stand or sit, both should have the same right of speech, and both should be addressed by the judge in the same courteous manner. "If ye have respect to persons," says the Apostle, in allusion to this passage, "ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors" (James 2:9, with Leviticus 19:2-4).

Verse 15. - Justice is to be done to all. The less danger of respecting the person of the poor has to be guarded against, as well as the greater and more obvious peril of honouring the person of the mighty. The scales of Justice must be held even and her eyes bandaged, that she may not prefer one appellant to another on any ground except that of merit and demerit. "If ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors" (James 2:9).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“You must not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

pervert
תַעֲשׂ֥וּ (ṯa·‘ă·śū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

justice;
בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט (bam·miš·pāṭ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

you must not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

show partiality
תִשָּׂ֣א (ṯiś·śā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

to the poor
דָ֔ל (ḏāl)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1800: Dangling, weak, thin

or
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

favoritism
תֶהְדַּ֖ר (ṯeh·dar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1921: To swell up, to favor, honour, be high, proud

to the rich;
גָד֑וֹל (ḡā·ḏō·wl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

you are to judge
תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט (tiš·pōṭ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate

your neighbor
עֲמִיתֶֽךָ׃ (‘ă·mî·ṯe·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5997: Companionship, a comrade, kindred man

fairly.
בְּצֶ֖דֶק (bə·ṣe·ḏeq)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6664: The right, equity, prosperity


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OT Law: Leviticus 19:15 You shall do no injustice in judgment: (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 19:14
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