Isaiah 1:23

A bribe is a charm in the eyes of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers.

Who declare the wicked righteous for a bribe, And remove the righteous standing of the ones who are righteous!

So as to turn the poor away from their cause And rob the afflicted of My people of their justice, So that widows may be their spoil And that they may plunder the orphans.

“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares Yahweh, “Who execute counsel, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin,

So it is that truth is missing; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself plunder. Then Yahweh saw, And it was evil in His eyes that there was no justice.

“I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts,

‘Like watchmen of a field they are against her round about Because she has rebelled against Me,’ declares Yahweh.

‘They are fat, they are sleek; They also excel in deeds of evil; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may succeed; And they do not render justice for the poor.

because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

“Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

“Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power, have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood.

All their evil is at Gilgal; Indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels.

For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are mighty, You who distress the righteous and take bribes And turn aside the needy in the gate.

Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And twist everything that is straight,

Her heads pronounce judgment for a bribe, And her priests instruct for a price, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on Yahweh saying, “Is not Yahweh in our midst? Evil will not come upon us.”

“For the rich men of the city are full of violence, And her inhabitants speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

Therefore the law is ignored, And justice never comes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes forth perverted.

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.