Proverbs 29:4

Proverbs 29:4  The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it. What is the job of a judge? Usually two people have a disagreement and they can't resolve their problems, so thy go before a judge who is wise, and he decides what is right and wrong. He decides who wins and who loses. But what if one of the people who is going before the judge, secretly, the day before, gives the judge an envelope with $200 in it?! A judge who accepts that envelope with money in it, is no longer fair. He is corrupted. He has accepted a bribe. His decision is no longer just, it is crooked. If someone gives you a gift, but expects a favor in return, they are not really giving you a gift; they are buying you and making you theirs to boss around. By giving you the gift and you accepting the gift, they own you! If it is your birthday and someone gives you a gift, that is different. If someone just wants to give you a gift, that is fine. But if they expect a favor in return, the gift is not just a gift, it is a gift with strings attached. That means that they will pull on their gift when they want you to do something for them in return. If you accept this false gift, the gift-giver will soon want you to do them a favor in return. So the gift is not really a gift. Be careful. Be fair. Don't be an unfair judge. Don't receive secret gifts. Don't let someone else buy you or buy a favor from you.