Isaiah 5:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!

NIV: who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.

NASB: Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe, And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!

CSB: who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.

NLT: They take bribes to let the wicked go free, and they punish the innocent.

KJV: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

NKJV: Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!

In the previous verse, Isaiah called "woe" on those men who are seen as expert drinks and drink mixers. This praise goes as far as to call them heroes in their "craft" (Isaiah 5:22). The fact that such men were praised by their peers in any way shows just how far into excess and drunkenness the culture of Jerusalem had fallen. This is not a condemnation of all alcohol, but of a lifestyle which prioritizes drunkenness and pleasure.

This verse adds that those same avid party goers are also guilty of accepting bribes and taking away the ability for justice in the legal system. This speaks to the idea of corruption: where inside connections and payoffs can change a verdict. One can imagine a judge or prosecutor saying, "We can make these charges go away over a few drinks. How much can you pay?"

When court cases are routinely decided by who can pay off judges and juries, poor people have little hope of ever getting a fair trial. The guilty can literally get away with murder if they are rich enough. The Lord hates such injustice, especially among His own people (Proverbs 16:8; 22:8).

Isaiah 5:8–30 contains Isaiah's dire predictions about the upcoming judgment of Israel. The first "woes" are to the greedy and the pleasure-seeking drinkers. They will go into exile and to the grave for refusing to acknowledge God. The Lord then will be exalted for restoring justice and righteousness. The next woes are to those who embrace sin and mock the coming judgment. These are also those people who have mixed evil and good and believe they know better than God. The final listed woes are those who make it a point of pride how much alcohol they can drink, as well as how they can work the system with bribes. The Lord will summon the armies of the nations to bring judgment on His people.

Isaiah 5 begins with a parable about a farmer who builds a vineyard that produces sour grapes. The owner says he will lay waste to the vineyard. Isaiah reveals the owner to be the Lord and the vineyard to be Israel. Israel's bad fruit includes the greed of the wealthy and the hedonism of the people. They will go hungry and thirsty, into exile, and the grave. The Lord will be exalted for His righteousness. Isaiah pronounces woe on the sinners, the mockers, and the unjust rulers. The Lord will summon the nations to judge His people.

Early chapters (Isaiah 1—4) established a prophetic message given to the people of Israel. Isaiah 5 begins a new section with a parable about a vineyard that produces wild grapes despite all the work the owner has done. The vineyard is Israel, and the owner is the Lord. He will lay waste to the vineyard for the greed and drunkenness of the people. They will go into exile and the grave. The Lord will be exalted, but woe to those who embrace sin, and mock God's judgment. As well as those who take bribes against the poor. He has summoned the nations. Judgment is coming. The next chapter includes one of the Bible's most famous visions (Isaiah 6).

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).