Parallel Verses

Bible in Basic English

Their hands are made ready to do evil; the ruler makes requests for money, and the judge is looking for a reward; and the great man gives decisions at his pleasure, and the right is twisted.

New American Standard Bible

Concerning evil, both hands do it well.
The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe,
And a great man speaks the desire of his soul;
So they weave it together.

King James Version

That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

Holman Bible

Both hands are good at accomplishing evil:
the official and the judge demand a bribe;
when the powerful man communicates his evil desire,
they plot it together.

International Standard Version

And speaking of evil, they practice it eagerly with both hands! Both leader and judge demand a bribe, the famous confess their perverted desires, and they scheme together.

A Conservative Version

Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler asks, and the judge [is ready] for a bribe. And the great man, he utters the evil desire of his soul. Thus they weave it together.

American Standard Version

Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently; the prince asketh, and the judge is ready for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth the evil desire of his soul: thus they weave it together.

Amplified


Concerning evil, both of their hands pursue it and do it diligently and thoroughly;
The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe,
And a great man speaks the [evil] desire of his soul.
So they twist the course of justice between them.

Darby Translation

Both hands are for evil, to do it well. The prince asketh, and the judge is there for a reward; and the great man uttereth his soul's greed: and together they combine it.

Julia Smith Translation

For doing evil with the hands to do well, the chief asking, and the judge, for peace; and the great one, he spake the mischief of his soul: and they will entangle it

King James 2000

That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asks, and the judge asks for a bribe; and the great man, he utters his evil desire: so they weave it together.

Lexham Expanded Bible

Their hands [are] upon evil, to do [it] well; the official and the judge ask for the bribe, and the great [man] utters the evil desire of his soul; and they weave [it] together.

Modern King James verseion

Both hands are on evil, to do it well. The ruler asks for a bribe, and the judge also; and the great man speaks the evil desire of his soul. So they weave it together.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

yet they say they do well when they do evil. As the prince will, so sayeth the judge: that he may do him a pleasure again. The great man speaketh what his heart desireth; and the hearers allow him.

NET Bible

They are determined to be experts at doing evil; government officials and judges take bribes, prominent men make demands, and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them.

New Heart English Bible

Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

The Emphasized Bible

Of wickedness with both hands to make sure, the ruler, doth make demand - and the judge - for a recompense, - and, as for the great man, he, is putting into words the desire of his soul, So have they woven the net!

Webster

That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

World English Bible

Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

Youngs Literal Translation

On the evil are both hands to do it well, The prince is asking -- also the judge -- for recompence, And the great -- he is speaking the mischief of his soul, And they wrap it up.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
with both hands
כּף 
Kaph 
Usage: 192

יטב 
Yatab 
Usage: 115

the prince
שׂר 
Sar 
Usage: 421

שׁאל שׁאל 
Sha'al 
Usage: 172

and the judge
שׁפט 
Shaphat 
Usage: 203

שׁלּם שׁלּוּם 
Shilluwm 
Usage: 3

and the great
גּדל גּדול 
Gadowl 
Usage: 528

דּבר 
Dabar 
Usage: 1142

נפשׁ 
Nephesh 
Usage: 753

Context Readings

Wait Upon Yahweh

2 The good man is gone from the earth, there is no one upright among men: they are all waiting secretly for blood, every man is going after his brother with a net. 3 Their hands are made ready to do evil; the ruler makes requests for money, and the judge is looking for a reward; and the great man gives decisions at his pleasure, and the right is twisted. 4 The best of them is like a waste plant, and their upright ones are like a wall of thorns. Sorrow! the day of their fate has come; now will trouble come on them.

Cross References

Micah 3:11

Its heads take rewards for judging, and the priests take payment for teaching, and the prophets get silver for reading the future: but still, supporting themselves on the Lord, they say, Is not the Lord among us? no evil will overtake us.

Proverbs 4:16-17

For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.

Amos 5:12

For I have seen how your evil-doing is increased and how strong are your sins, you troublers of the upright, who take rewards and do wrong to the cause of the poor in the public place.

1 Kings 21:9-14

And in the letter she said, Let a time of public sorrow be fixed, and put Naboth at the head of the people;

Isaiah 1:23

Your chiefs have gone against the Lord, they have become friends of thieves; every one of them is looking for profit and going after rewards; they do not give right decisions for the child who has no father, and they do not let the cause of the widow come before them.

Isaiah 26:21

For the Lord is coming out of his place to send punishment on the people of the earth for their evil-doing: the earth will let the blood drained out on her be seen, and will keep her dead covered no longer.

Jeremiah 3:5

Will he be angry for ever? will he keep his wrath to the end? These things you have said, and have done evil and have had your way.

Jeremiah 8:10

So I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who will take them for themselves: for everyone, from the least to the greatest, is given up to getting money; from the priest even to the prophet, everyone is false.

Ezekiel 22:6

See, the rulers of Israel, every one in his family, have been causing death in you.

Ezekiel 22:27

Her rulers in her are like wolves violently taking their food; putting men to death and causing the destruction of souls, so that they may get their profit.

Hosea 4:18

Their drink has become bitter; they are completely false; her rulers take pleasure in shame.

Matthew 26:15

What will you give me, if I give him up to you? And the price was fixed at thirty bits of silver.

Luke 12:1-2

At that time, when thousands of the people had come together, in such numbers that they were crushing one another, he said first to his disciples, Have nothing to do with the leaven of the Pharisees, which is deceit.

1 Corinthians 4:5

For this reason let there be no judging before the time, till the Lord comes, who will make clear the secret things of the dark, and the designs of the heart; and then will every man have his praise from God.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain