You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.An interesting choice of words, distort. Today, we think of twisting justice, or slanting justice, but distorting has some interesting meanings. It says that the basic truths are still there, but that they have been reshaped in appearance. It's not a substitution, but a bending, just enough to make something look different.
I like also the explanations of why a bribe is wrong. To say it blinds the wise is definitely true. A good person's judgment doesn't matter when they're being paid to provide the correct answer. And having a correct answer automatically is definitely a perversion. I also find it interesting how it is not said that a bribe should not be offered, but that it should not be accepted. It is the responsibility of the judge to maintain correct standards, not the people who are in dispute.
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