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Exodus 23:1–3

A Call for Justice

“You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.

“You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor.

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Exodus 23:1–3 — The New International Version (NIV)

“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.

“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.

Exodus 23:1–3 — English Standard Version (ESV)

“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

Exodus 23:1–3 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

Exodus 23:1–3 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

“You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute.

Exodus 23:1–3 — New Century Version (NCV)

“You must not tell lies. If you are a witness in court, don’t help a wicked person by telling lies.

“You must not do wrong just because everyone else is doing it. If you are a witness in court, you must not ruin a fair trial. You must not tell lies just because everyone else is. If a poor person is in court, you must not take his side just because he is poor.

Exodus 23:1–3 — American Standard Version (ASV)

Thou shalt not take up a false report: put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest justice: neither shalt thou favor a poor man in his cause.

Exodus 23:1–3 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

Thou shalt not accept a false report; extend not thy hand to the wicked, to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow the multitude for evil; neither shalt thou answer in a cause, to go after the multitude to pervert judgment. Neither shalt thou favour a poor man in his cause.

Exodus 23:1–3 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

⸤The Lord continued,⸥ “Never spread false rumors. Don’t join forces with wicked people by giving false testimony. Never follow a crowd in doing wrong. When you testify in court, don’t side with the majority to pervert justice. Never give special favors to poor people in court. 

Exodus 23:1–3 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

“You must not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked to be a malicious witness.

“You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice. Do not show favoritism to a poor person in his lawsuit.

Exodus 23:1–3 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with the wicked to act as a malicious witness. You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit.

Exodus 23:1–3 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

“ ‘You will not spread a false report. Do not lift your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness. You will not follow a majority for evil, and you will not testify concerning a legal dispute to turn aside after a majority to pervert justice. You will not be partial to a powerless person in his legal dispute.

Exodus 23:1–3 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

“Do not spread reports that are false. Do not help an evil person by telling lies in court.

“Do not follow the crowd when they do what is wrong. When you are a witness in court, do not turn what is right into wrong. Do not go along with the crowd. Do not show favor to a poor person in court.

Exodus 23:1–3 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

“You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.

“You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice;

nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute.


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