Deuteronomy 27:19

Easy-to-Read Version

"The Levites will say, ‘Cursed is the one who does not give fair judgment for the foreigners, orphans, and widows!' "Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!'

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
‘The one who denies justice to a resident alien, a fatherless child, or a widow is cursed.’

Hebrew Names Version
Cursed be he who wrests the justice [due] to the sojourner, fatherless, and widow. All the people shall say, Amein.

King James Version
Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Lexham English Bible
‘Cursed be the one who deprives the alien, the orphan, and the widow of justice.' And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.'

English Standard Version
"‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.' And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.'

New Century Version
"Anyone will be cursed who is unfair to foreigners, orphans, or widows." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"

New English Translation
‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.' Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!'

Amplified Bible
'Cursed is he who distorts (perverts) the justice due to a stranger, an orphan, and a widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

New American Standard Bible
'Cursed is one who distorts the justice due a stranger, an orphan, or a widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
Cursed be he that hindreth the right of the stranger, the fatherles, and the widow: And all the people shal say: So be it.

Legacy Standard Bible
‘Cursed is he who perverts the justice due a sojourner, orphan, and widow.' And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.'

Complete Jewish Bible
"‘A curse on anyone who interferes with justice for the foreigner, orphan or widow.' All the people are to say, ‘Amen!'

Darby Translation
Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow! And all the people shall say, Amen.

George Lamsa Translation
Cursed be he who perverts the judgment of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Good News Translation
"‘God's curse on anyone who deprives foreigners, orphans, and widows of their rights.' "And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!'

Literal Translation
Cursed is he who perverts the judgment of the alien, the fatherless, and widow! And all the people shall say, Amen!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Cursed be he, that wresteth ye righte of ye straunger, of the fatherlesse, & wedowe. And all the people shal saye, Amen.

American Standard Version
Cursed be he that wresteth the justice due to the sojourner, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Bible in Basic English
Cursed is he who gives a wrong decision in the cause of a man from a strange land, or of one without a father, or of a widow. And let all the people say, So be it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Cursed be he that hindreth the ryght of the straunger, fatherlesse, and widdowe: & all the people shall say, Amen.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Cursed be he that perverteth the justice due to the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say: Amen.

King James Version (1611)
Cursed be hee that peruerteth the iudgement of the stranger, fatherlesse, and widow: and all the people shall say, Amen.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Cursed is every one that shall pervert the judgment of the stranger, and orphan, and widow: and all the people shall say, So be it.

English Revised Version
Cursed be he that wresteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Berean Standard Bible
'Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He is cursid that peruertith the doom of a comelyng, of a fadirles, ethir modirles child, and of a widewe; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!

Young's Literal Translation
`Cursed [is] he who is turning aside the judgment of fatherless, sojourner, and widow, -- and all the people have said, Amen.

Update Bible Version
Cursed be he that wrests the justice [due] to the sojourner, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Webster's Bible Translation
Cursed [be] he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow: and all the people shall say, Amen.

World English Bible
Cursed be he who wrests the justice [due] to the sojourner, fatherless, and widow. All the people shall say, Amen.

New King James Version
"Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.' "And all the people shall say, "Amen!'

New Living Translation
‘Cursed is anyone who denies justice to foreigners, orphans, or widows.' And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.'

New Life Bible
‘Cursed is the one who is not fair to a stranger, a child whose parents have died, and the woman whose husband has died.' And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.'

New Revised Standard
"Cursed be anyone who deprives the alien, the orphan, and the widow of justice." All the people shall say, "Amen!"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Cursed, be he that perverteth the right of the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow. And all the people shall say - Amen.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, of the fatherless and the widow: and all the people shall say: Amen.

Revised Standard Version
"'Cursed be he who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

Contextual Overview

¹¹ That day Moses also told the people, ¹² "After you have gone across the Jordan River, these tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to read the blessings to the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. ¹³ And these tribes will stand on Mount Ebal to read the curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. ¹⁴ "And the Levites will say to all the Israelites in a loud voice: ¹⁵ "‘Cursed is the one who makes a false god and puts it in its secret place. These false gods are only statues that some worker makes from wood, stone or metal. The Lord hates these things!' "Then all the people will answer, ‘Amen!' ¹⁶ "The Levites will say, ‘Cursed is the one who does not show respect to their father or their mother!' "Then all the people will answer, ‘Amen!' ¹⁷ "The Levites will say, ‘Cursed is the one who moves a neighbor's landmark!' "Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!' ¹⁸ "The Levites will say, ‘Cursed is the one who tricks a blind man into going the wrong way!' "Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!' ¹⁹ "The Levites will say, ‘Cursed is the one who does not give fair judgment for the foreigners, orphans, and widows!' "Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!' ²⁰ "The Levites will say, ‘Cursed is the one who shames his father by having sexual relations with his father's wife.' "Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Deuteronomy 10:18, Deuteronomy 24:17, Exodus 22:21-24, Exodus 23:2, Exodus 23:8, Exodus 23:9, Psalms 82:2-4, Proverbs 17:23, Proverbs 31:5, Micah 3:9, Malachi 3:5

Reciprocal: Exodus 22:22 - General Exodus 23:6 - General Leviticus 19:15 - General Deuteronomy 16:19 - wrest Job 22:9 - widows Proverbs 23:11 - General Jeremiah 7:6 - oppress Jeremiah 22:3 - do no violence Ezekiel 22:7 - dealt Zechariah 7:10 - oppress Luke 18:3 - a widow 1 Timothy 5:3 - widows

Cross-References

Genesis 25:25
The first baby was red. His skin was like a hairy robe. So he was named Esau.

Genesis 27:3
So take your bow and arrows and go hunting. Kill an animal for me to eat.

Genesis 27:4
Prepare the food that I love. Bring it to me, and I will eat it. Then I will bless you before I die."

Genesis 27:21
Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near to me so that I can feel you, my son. If I can feel you, I will know if you are really my son Esau."

Genesis 27:23
Isaac did not know it was Jacob, because his arms were hairy like Esau's. So Isaac blessed Jacob.

Genesis 27:24
Isaac said, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob answered, "Yes, I am."

Genesis 27:25
Then Isaac said, "Bring me the food. I will eat it and bless you." So Jacob gave him the food, and he ate it. Then Jacob gave him some wine, and he drank it.

1 Kings 13:18
The old prophet lied to him and said, "But I am a prophet like you. And an angel from the Lord came to me and told me to bring you home and give you something to eat and drink."

1 Kings 14:2
Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go to Shiloh and see the prophet Ahijah. He is the one who said that I would become king of Israel. Dress yourself so that people will not know that you are my wife.

Isaiah 28:15
You have said, "We have made an agreement with death. We have a contract with death. So we will not be punished. Punishment will pass us without hurting us. We will hide behind our tricks and lies."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Cursed [be] he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger,

fatherless, and widow,.... Who have none to assist them, and take their part, and therefore judges may be tempted to do an unjust thing; but God is the patron of them, and takes notice of every injury done them, and is the avenger of all such:

and all the people shall say Amen; :-;

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare Joshua 8:32-35. The solemnity was apparently designed only for the single occasion on which it actually took place.

Deuteronomy 27:12, Deuteronomy 27:13

The tribes appointed to stand on Gerizim to bless the people all sprang from the two wives of Jacob, Leah and Rachel. All the four tribes which sprang from the handmaids Zilpah and Bilhah are located on Ebal. But in order, as it would seem, to effect an equal division, two tribes are added to the latter from the descendants of the wives, that of Reuben, probably because he forfeited his primogeniture Genesis 49:4; and of Zebulun, apparently because he was the youngest son of Leah.

The transaction presents itself as a solemn renewal of the covenant made by God with Abraham and Isaac, but more especially with Jacob and his family. Accordingly the genealogical basis of the “twelve patriarchs” (compare Acts 7:12; Revelation 7:4 ff), the sons of Jacob, is here assumed. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh are merged in the name of Joseph, their father; and Levi regains on this occasion his place collaterally with the others. “The Levites” of Deuteronomy 27:14 are no doubt “the priests the Levites” (compareJoshua 8:33; Joshua 8:33), in whom the ministerial character attaching to the tribe was more particularly manifested. It is noteworthy that the group of tribes which stood on Gerizim far exceeded the other in numbers and in importance, thus perhaps indicating that even by the Law the blessing should at length prevail.

Deuteronomy 27:15

The “Amen” attested the conviction of the utterers that the sentences to which they responded were true, just, and certain; so in Numbers 5:22, and in our own Commination Office, which is modelled after this ordinance of Moses.

Deuteronomy 27:15-26

Twelve curses against transgressions of the covenant. The first eleven are directed against special sins which are selected by way of example, the last comprehensively sums up in general terms and condemns all and every offence against God’s Law. Compare the marginal references.