25 Bible Verses About Bribery (ESV)

8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

23   The wicked accepts a bribe in secret
    to pervert the ways of justice.

27   Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
    but he who hates bribes will live.

8   A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
    wherever he turns he prospers.

7   Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,
    and a bribe corrupts the heart.

12   For I know how many are your transgressions
    and how great are your sins—
  you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
    and turn aside the needy in the gate.

19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.

14   A gift in secret averts anger,
    and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.

10   in whose hands are evil devices,
    and whose right hands are full of bribes.

23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
    and deprive the innocent of his right!

23   Your princes are rebels
    and companions of thieves.
  Everyone loves a bribe
    and runs after gifts.
  They do not bring justice to the fatherless,
    and the widow’s cause does not come to them.

2   Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
    but righteousness delivers from death.

34   For the company of the godless is barren,
    and fire consumes the tents of bribery.

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

21   To show partiality is not good,
    but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.

3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.

5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”

3   Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;
    the prince and the judge ask for a bribe,
  and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;
    thus they weave it together.

3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel,

12 In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.

15   He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
    who despises the gain of oppressions,
  who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
    who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
    and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,

4   By justice a king builds up the land,
    but he who exacts gifts tears it down.

19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.

26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.