In verse 23 there are three pairs of parallel lines. All six lines speak about the leaders of Judah. These leaders oppose God and associate with thieves. Each one of them accepts bribes; each one of them looks for gifts. They do not defend the legal rights of orphans; they do not take the complaints of widows seriously.

Your princes are rebels: Your princes refers to the leaders of the community, its chiefs and governors. The word “prince” in the Bible does not always refer to the son of a king. “Leaders” is a good general term to use for princes here. These leaders are rebels. The Hebrew word rendered rebels comes from the same root as the verb for “rebel” used to describe the nation in verse 5. It pictures people who will not do what they are supposed to do. In this context the leaders are accused of not fulfilling their duty of upholding the law. This line may be rendered “Your leaders resist/oppose God.”

And companions of thieves. The leaders are associates of those who break the law and steal; they work together with thieves and give them help. This makes them also guilty of theft. The description here, like the reference to “murderers” in verse 21, could be a metaphor rather than an actual fact. If so, this line would mean that the leaders have created an atmosphere in which corruption can thrive. Good News Translation has “and friends of thieves,” and Bible en français courant says “accomplices of rogues/swindlers.”

Every one loves a bribe is another general charge against these leaders. From the parallel line that follows this one, we know that it describes people in positions of power who receive bribes, rather than those who give bribes to get things done. Corruption is universal, and the verb love shows that the leaders happily use their position to take bribes. Deut 16.19 warns against taking bribes because it prevents justice from being done. In languages where a word for bribe does not exist, this line may be rendered “each of them can be bought/paid [to keep quiet],” “… paid to say nothing to lawbreakers,” or “… paid not to punish lawbreakers.”

And runs after gifts: This second line of the pair is more forceful than the first one. The leaders are so greedy that they actively ask for rewards for not persecuting evildoers. The gifts are also bribes to ensure action in favor of a person, regardless of whether it is just or deserved. Run after indicates their obvious urge to act in this way. Translators may need to look for an idiomatic way of expressing this.

They do not defend the fatherless: See verse 17 for this basic demand that God makes. The leaders ignore it because they are more concerned about their own personal gain. They were supposed to make sure justice was done for all the people, especially the poor and disadvantaged. The poor orphans and widows (see the next line) could not afford to pay bribes and so they could not expect any justice.

The widow’s cause does not come to them: Here the singular word widow refers to all widows. Their cause is actually their complaint, as described in verse 17. The pronoun them refers to the leaders. There are two possible interpretations for this line: 1) the widows’ complaints do not even reach the courts for a hearing (Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh); or 2) the leaders refuse to deal with their complaints when they hear them in court (Good News Translation). Both interpretations are valid and translators may follow either one.

Translators can consider the following examples for this verse:

• Your leaders are rogues, associates of thieves.
Each one of them loves to receive bribes
and looks for gifts.
But they fail to defend the rights of orphans
and refuse to deal with the complaints of widows.

• Your chiefs are rebels in league with thieves.
Every one of them takes bribes and gifts,
and refuses to consider the rights of orphans
and the complaints of widows.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .