King James Version

Exodus 23:1

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

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Hebrew

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לֹ֥אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…תִשָּׂ֖אtisalift upנָשָׂאverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “lift up”, an unfinished actionH5375to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relativeaccept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable…שֵׁ֣מַעshemabruitשֵׁמַעnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “bruit”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8088something heard, i.e. a sound, rumor, announcement; abstractly, audiencebruit, fame, hear(-ing), loud, report, speech, tidings.שָׁ֑וְאshavefalseשָׁוְאnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “false”, the ordinary formH7723evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain)false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תָּ֤שֶׁתtashetapplyשִׁיתverb, qal, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “apply”, a wish or indirect commandH7896to place (in a very wide application)apply, appoint, array, bring, consider, lay (up), let alone, [idiom] look, make, mark, put (on), [phrase] regard, set, shew, be stayed, [idiom] take.יָֽדְךָ֙yadekhahandיָדnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “hand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […עִםimwithעִםpreposition — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).רָשָׁ֔עrashaguiltyרָשָׁעadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “guilty”, the ordinary formH7563morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person[phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.לִהְיֹ֖תlihyotto beהָיָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to be”, the to-form of the verbH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.עֵ֥דedwitnessעֵדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “witness”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5707concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. princewitness.חָמָֽסchamasviolenceחָמָסnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “violence”, the ordinary formH2555violence; by implication, wrong; by meton. unjust gaincruel(-ty), damage, false, injustice, [idiom] oppressor, unrighteous, violence (against, done), violent (dealing), wrong.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Thou shalt not utter a false report; put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Thou shalt not take up a false report: put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Young’s Literal Translation

'Thou dost not lift up a vain report; thou dost not put thy hand with a wicked man to be a violent witness.

World English Bible

“You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.

Darby Translation

Thou shalt not accept a false report; extend not thy hand to the wicked, to be an unrighteous witness.

Douay-Rheims

Thou shalt not receive the voice of a lie: neither shalt thou join thy hand to bear false witness for a wicked person.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Thou shalt not utter a false report; put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Thou shalt not receive a vain report: thou shalt not agree with the unjust man to become an unjust witness.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Οὐ παραδέξῃ ἀκοὴν ματαίαν· οὐ συγκαταθήσῃ μετὰ τοῦ ἀδίκου γενέσθαι μάρτυς ἄδικος.