The Nugget:
Pro 17:15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD. (KJV)
Pro 17:15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, even both of them are hateful to Jehovah. (NKJV, New King James Version)
Pro 17:15 The one who acquits the guilty and the one who condemns the innocent – both of them are an abomination to the LORD. (NET Bible)
Pro 17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD. (ESV, English Standard Version)
Pro 17:15 Whoso is justifying the wicked, And condemning the righteous, Even both of these are an abomination to Jehovah. (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation)
Pro 17:15 He that pronounces the unjust just, and the just unjust, is unclean and abominable with God. (LXX, Brenton translation of the Greek Septuagint)
Pro 17:15 The LORD hates these two things: punishing the innocent and letting the guilty go free. (ERV, Easy-to-Read Version)
Pro 17:15 He who gives a decision for the evil-doer and he who gives a decision against the upright, are equally disgusting to the Lord. (BBE, Basic English Bible)
Pro 17:15 The LORD doesn’t like those who defend the guilty or condemn the innocent. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)
My Comment:
If nine English Bible translations above did not make the point clear, I wonder if anything will!
The very next verse (Proverbs 17:16) is equally relevant to our own time:
Pro 17:16 Why should fools have money for an education when they refuse to learn? (CEV, Contemporary English Version)
When judges let individuals guilty of serious crime go free, they are under the wrath of God. I think such judges should be held responsible for any further serious crime committed by those they refused to sentence to time in prison.
Dig deeper into Proverbs 17:15 by consulting the following cross references from the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:
Proverbs 17:15
that justifieth the wicked. *Pro 24:23; *Pro 24:24, %+Gen 9:5; Gen 44:16, 17, *Exo 23:7, %Deut 25:1, 1Ki 8:32; 1Ki 21:13, 2Ch 6:23, Ezr 4:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, Job 27:5, Isa 5:23; **Isa 55:8; **Isa 55:9, Ezk 22:27, 28, 29, Amos 5:7; Amos 5:12; Amos 6:12, *Luk 23:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, Jhn 18:40, Act 24:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, *Rom 4:5, Jas 5:6.
condemneth the just. Pro 17:26, Psa 94:21, +*Isa 5:20, Lam 3:35, Mic 3:9, Mat 12:7, +*Luk 16:1 note. Luk 23:24, +*Jhn 7:24; +*Jhn 7:51.
abomination. +Pro 3:32; *Pro 6:16; *Pro 11:1; *Pro 15:8, **2Co 5:21 notes.