18:5

This proverb criticizes the action of an unjust judge. This judge gives an unfair verdict in favor of a guilty person and/or prevents an innocent person from getting a fair verdict.

5a Showing partiality to the wicked is not good,

5b nor is depriving the innocent of justice.

In Hebrew, the word “nor” does not occur here. The second part of the verse is more literally “to deprive the righteous of justice” (Revised English Bible). There are two main ways to interpret the relation between the two parts of the verse:

(1) The verse discusses a single legal case. In this case, a judge shows favoritism to a guilty person (18:5a). He also deprives an innocent person of justice (18:5b). Verse 18:5b probably gives the result of the judge’s favoritism or the circumstances in which he showed favoritism. For example:

5a It is not good to be partial to the wicked 5b and so to deprive the innocent of justice. (New International Version (2011))
-or-
5a It is not good to be partial toward a wicked person, 5b thereby depriving an innocent person of justice. (God’s Word)
-or-
5a It is terrible to show partiality to the wicked, 5b by depriving a righteous man of justice. (NET Bible)

(2) The verse discusses two different legal cases. In the first, a judge shows favoritism to a guilty person (18:5a). In the second, a judge deprives an innocent person of justice (18:5b). For example:

5a It is not right to acquit the guilty 5b or deny justice to the innocent. (New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most scholars. In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of the verse parts. For example:

It is not right to keep an innocent person from getting his legal rights in order to show favoritism to a guilty person.

For similar verses about unjust judges, see 17:15, 17:23, 17:26.

18:5a–b

wicked…innocent: The Berean Standard Bible usually translates the contrasting words wicked and innocent as “wicked” and “righteous.” In a court context, such as here, these words refer to people who are “guilty” and people who are “innocent.”

18:5a

Showing partiality to the wicked: This phrase means “to take the side of the guilty person” in a court case. It probably means that the judge decides the case in his favor by declaring him not guilty. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

to favor the guilty (Good News Translation)
-or-
to acquit the guilty (New Living Translation (2004))

is not good: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as is not good is probably a figure of speech (understatement). It emphasizes the opposite meaning. For example:

It is terrible (NET Bible)
-or-
It’s wrong (Contemporary English Version)

18:5b

depriving the innocent of justice: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “to turn away…in ⌊the⌋ judgment.” This phrase may indicate that the judge gives an unfair verdict against an innocent person. It may also indicate that he refuses to hear the innocent person’s case. If possible, translate in a way that allows either situation. For example:

to reject a rightful claim (New American Bible)
-or-
keep the innocent from getting justice (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
to be unfair to the innocent (New Century Version)

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