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;
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 —
- BSB 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—
- 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 away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
- 1 Jn 3:7Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
- Eph 5:11–13And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
- Ps 106:3Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
- Ps 24:4–5He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
- Rom 2:7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
- Ps 1:1–3Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
- Titus 2:11–12For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
- Isa 56:1–2Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
- Deut 16:19Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
- Luke 1:6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
- Mal 2:6The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.
- Acts 8:18–23And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
- Ps 26:4–6I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
- Luke 19:8And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
- 2 Pet 2:14–16Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
- Ps 15:1–2Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
- Ps 26:9–11Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
- Ps 26:1–2Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
- Jas 5:4Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
- Ezek 18:15–17That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,
- Jer 5:26–28For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
- Neh 5:7–13Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
- 1 Sam 12:3Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
- Isa 58:8Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
- Num 16:15And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
- Matt 26:15And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
- 1 Sam 26:8–11Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
- Exod 23:6–9Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
- Mic 7:3–4That 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.
- Job 31:29–31If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
- 1 Sam 24:4–7And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
- Luke 3:12–14Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
- Job 31:13–25If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
- Jer 40:15–16Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?
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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
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