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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:
Isaiah 33:15 · New King James Version
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;
  • 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—
  • 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 looking at worthless things. Revive me in your ways.
  • 1 Jn 3:7Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
  • Eph 5:11–13Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them.
  • Ps 106:3Blessed are those who keep justice. Blessed is one who does what is right at all times.
  • Ps 24:4–5He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully.
  • Rom 2:7to those who by perseverance in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life;
  • Ps 1:1–3Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;
  • Titus 2:11–12For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
  • Isa 56:1–2Yahweh says, “Maintain justice, and do what is right; for my salvation is near, and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
  • Deut 16:19You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.
  • Luke 1:6They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
  • Mal 2:6The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity.
  • Acts 8:18–23Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
  • Ps 26:4–6I have not sat with deceitful men, neither will I go in with hypocrites.
  • Luke 19:8Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.”
  • 2 Pet 2:14–16having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing;
  • Ps 15:1–2A Psalm by David. Yahweh, who shall dwell in your sanctuary? Who shall live on your holy hill?
  • Ps 26:9–11Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men;
  • Ps 26:1–2By David. Judge me, Yahweh, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in Yahweh without wavering.
  • Jas 5:4Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Armies.
  • Ezek 18:15–17who has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor’s wife,
  • Jer 5:26–28For among my people are found wicked men. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men.
  • Neh 5:7–13Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them.
  • 1 Sam 12:3Here I am. Witness against me before Yahweh, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a ransom to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”
  • Isa 58:8Then your light will break out as the morning, and your healing will appear quickly; then your righteousness shall go before you; and Yahweh’s glory will be your rear guard.
  • Num 16:15Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”
  • Matt 26:15and said, “What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?” They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver.
  • 1 Sam 26:8–11Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered up your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore please let me strike him with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.”
  • Exod 23:6–9“You shall not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.
  • Mic 7:3–4Their 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.
  • Job 31:29–31“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
  • 1 Sam 24:4–7David’s men said to him, “Behold, the day of which Yahweh said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe secretly.
  • Luke 3:12–14Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?”
  • Job 31:13–25“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me;
  • Jer 40:15–16Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, “Please let me go, and I will kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it. Why should he take your life, that all the Jews who are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant of Judah 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.