15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent(A)
    the Lord detests them both.(B)

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15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just(A)
both are detestable to the Lord.

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26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,(A)
    surely to flog honest officials is not right.

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26 It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person
or to beat a noble for his honesty.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:26 Or noble unfairly

It is not good to be partial to the wicked(A)
    and so deprive the innocent of justice.(B)

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It is not good to show partiality to the guilty(A)
by perverting the justice due the innocent.(B)

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15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
    but terror to evildoers.(A)

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15 Justice executed is a joy to the righteous
but a terror to those who practice iniquity.(A)

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11 Rescue those being led away to death;
    hold back those staggering toward slaughter.(A)
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
    does not he who weighs(B) the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
    Will he not repay(C) everyone according to what they have done?(D)

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11 Rescue those being taken off to death,
and save those stumbling toward slaughter.(A)
12 If you say, “But we didn’t know about this,”
won’t He who weighs hearts(B) consider it?
Won’t He who protects your life(C) know?
Won’t He repay a person according to his work?(D)

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Further Sayings of the Wise

23 These also are sayings of the wise:(A)

To show partiality(B) in judging is not good:(C)
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”(D)
    will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
    and rich blessing will come on them.

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23 These sayings also belong to the wise:(A)

It is not good to show partiality in judgment.(B)
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent”(C)
people will curse him,(D) and tribes will denounce him;
25 but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and a generous blessing will come to them.

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Evildoers do not understand what is right,
    but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

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Evil men do not understand justice,(A)
but those who seek the Lord understand everything.(B)

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26 Many seek an audience with a ruler,(A)
    but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.(B)

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26 Many seek a ruler’s favor,(A)
but a man receives justice from the Lord.(B)

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