^23:4“If you encounter¹¹ your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return¹² it to him. ^23:5If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, you must not ignore him,¹³ but be sure to help¹⁴ him with it.¹⁵

^23:6“You must not turn away justice for your poor people in their lawsuits.

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Footnotes

10 The point here is one of false sympathy and honor, the bad sense of the word הָדַר (hadar; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, ).
11 Heb “meet” (so , , ).
12 The construction uses the imperfect tense (taken here as an obligatory imperfect) and the infinitive absolute for emphasis.
13 The line reads “you will cease to forsake him”—refrain from leaving your enemy without help.
14 The law is emphatic here as well, using the infinitive absolute and the imperfect of instruction (or possibly obligation). There is also a wordplay here: two words עָזַב (’azav) are used, one meaning “forsake” and the other possibly meaning “arrange” based on Arabic and Ugaritic evidence (see U. Cassuto, Exodus, ).
15 See H. B. Huffmon, “Exodus 23:4–5: A Comparative Study,” A Light Unto My Path, 271–78.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.

“You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.

“If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.

“Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Do not show favoritism to a poor person in his lawsuit.

“If you come across your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.

“If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying helpless under its load, and you want to refrain from helping it, you must help with it.

“You must not deny justice to a poor person among you in his lawsuit.

NLTNew Living Translation

And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor.

“If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.

“In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

You will not be partial to a powerless person in his legal dispute.

“ ‘If you come upon the ox of your enemy or his donkey going astray, you will certainly bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of your enemy lying down under its burden, you will refrain from abandoning him. You will surely arrange it with him.

“ ‘You will not pervert the justice of your poor in his legal dispute.

KJV 1900King James Version

Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

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