²⁷ ·Greedy people [^LThose who get unjust gain] bring trouble to their ·families [^Lhouse],
but the person who ·can’t be paid to do wrong [^Lhates gifts/bribes] will live.

⁸ ·Some people think they can pay others to do anything they ask [^LA bribe is a magic stone in the eyes of those who give it].
·They think it will work every time [^LIt grants success to all who use it].

²³ When the wicked ·accept money to do wrong [take a secret bribe/^Lbribe from the chest/bosom]
·there can be no [it stretches] justice.

¹⁶ Taking gifts to important people
will help get you in to see them.

¹⁴ A secret gift will calm an angry person;
a ·present [or bribe] given in secrecy will quiet great anger [Ex. 23:8; Deut. 16:19; 27:25; Ps. 15:5; Eccl. 7:7; Is. 1:23].

²¹ It is not good ·for a judge to take sides [to show favoritism/partiality; ^Lto recognize faces],
but some will ·sin [transgress; do wrong] for only a piece of bread.

⁴ If a king is ·fair [just], he makes his country ·strong [stable],
but if he ·takes gifts dishonestly [heavily taxes/extorts it], he tears his country down [1 Sam. 12:10–18].