17:23

This verse is a single sentence in Hebrew. There are no parallel parts.

17:23a

A wicked man takes a covert bribe: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “a gift from the bosom a wicked (person) takes.” In this context, it indicates that a wicked judge or other official accepts a bribe that someone takes from a hidden fold or pocket in the front of his robe. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

The wicked accept a concealed bribe (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Corrupt judges accept secret bribes (Good News Translation)

17:23b

to subvert the course of justice: This phrase indicates the purpose of the bribe. The purpose is to “push aside” the course of justice so that an official will make an unjust decision. Another way to express the meaning of this phrase is:

to keep justice from being done (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages, it may be more natural to indicate the result of the bribe. The result is that people will not be treated fairly. For example:

and then justice is not done (Good News Translation)

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