Deuteronomy 16:19
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
Judges and rulers are commanded not to twist judgment, not to show favoritism based on who people are, and not to take gifts or bribes. The prohibition covers distorting justice, favoring persons unfairly, and accepting any gift that would bend a decision. The reason given is that a gift blinds the eyes of even the wise and perverts the words and judgments of the righteous. Such a gift clouds sound judgment and corrupts the just cause, turning aside what is right.
The command stands within a broader call for Israel to pursue what is wholly just, so that they may live and inherit the land God gives them. That pursuit includes fair treatment of the widow and the fatherless. Samuel's sons violated this instruction by seeking gain, taking bribes, and perverting justice. For public leaders the requirement is equitable judgment that upholds the stranger's rights and relieves the oppressed. It refuses bribes that would clear the guilty or punish the innocent, with God's word as the guide and test for decisions.
Its principle is not limited to courts but is to be practiced in the life of God's people and in their institutions.