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He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears against murderous plots and shuts his eyes tightly against evil—
Isaiah 33:15 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB He who walks righteously, and speaks blamelessly; He who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from looking at evil —
  • KJV He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
  • NKJV He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil:
  • NASB One who walks righteously and speaks with integrity, One who rejects unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; One who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking at evil;
  • NLT Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong—

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The one who may dwell with God lives righteously, speaks honestly, and rejects oppression, bribery, and evil.

Overview

Isaiah answers the previous verse's question by describing the character of those who can stand before God: integrity in conduct, speech, and dealings, refusing corruption and violence. This is not a way to earn salvation but a description of genuine, God-fearing life (cf. Ps. 15; 24:3-4). Such righteousness is fully embodied in Christ and worked in his people by grace.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 35

  • Ps 119:37Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.
  • 1 Jn 3:7Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
  • Eph 5:11–13Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
  • Ps 106:3Blessed are those who uphold justice, who practice righteousness at all times.
  • Ps 24:4–5He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.
  • Rom 2:7To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.
  • Ps 1:1–3Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.
  • Titus 2:11–12For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
  • Isa 56:1–2This is what the LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is coming soon, and My righteousness will be revealed.
  • Deut 16:19Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
  • Luke 1:6Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.
  • Mal 2:6True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.
  • Acts 8:18–23When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.
  • Ps 26:4–6I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites.
  • Luke 19:8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”
  • 2 Pet 2:14–16Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.
  • Ps 15:1–2A Psalm of David. O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?
  • Ps 26:9–11Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed,
  • Ps 26:1–2Of David. Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
  • Jas 5:4Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
  • Ezek 18:15–17He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
  • Jer 5:26–28For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.
  • Neh 5:7–13and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
  • 1 Sam 12:3Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.”
  • Isa 58:8Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
  • Num 16:15Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.”
  • Matt 26:15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
  • 1 Sam 26:8–11Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!”
  • Exod 23:6–9You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits.
  • Mic 7:3–4Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.
  • Job 31:29–31If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
  • 1 Sam 24:4–7So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up secretly and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
  • Luke 3:12–14Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
  • Job 31:13–25If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
  • Jer 40:15–16Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he said. “No one will know it. Why should he take your life and scatter all the people of Judah who have gathered to you, so that the remnant of Judah would perish?”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Isaiah videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Isaiah 33:15YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on IsaiahMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).

How Isaiah 33:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.