Bible Verses About Thieves and Liars: In a world where dishonesty seems to be everywhere from small white lies to major theft it’s comforting to know that God’s Word provides clear guidance about lying and stealing.
Whether you’re struggling with temptation, seeking to understand God’s stance on dishonesty, or simply wanting to grow in Christian character and honesty, these verses will illuminate the path toward integrity in Christian faith.
Honesty in relationships and trustworthiness aren’t just nice qualities to have they’re reflections of God’s own character.
When we examine what the Bible says about liars and thieves, we discover that God values truth so deeply that He calls Himself “the way, the truth, and the life.
” These Bible verses about lying and stealing reveal both the consequences of lying and the beautiful freedom that comes from walking in God’s truth.
As we explore these powerful scriptures together, you’ll find encouragement to live with spiritual integrity and discover how honesty as a reflection of God can transform every area of your life. Let’s dive into God’s timeless wisdom about righteousness and Christian living with integrity.
Also Read: 46 Bible Verses About Storms (Explained)
Bible Verses About Thieves and Liars
God’s Commandments Against Theft and Deceit (Verses 1-5)
1. 📖 Exodus 20:15
“You shall not steal.”
🔍 Meaning: This straightforward commandment from the Ten Commandments establishes God’s clear boundary against taking what belongs to others.
💡 Application: Respect others’ property in every form whether physical items, time, credit, or ideas.
2. 📖 Leviticus 19:11
“Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.”
🔍 Meaning: God links stealing and lying together, showing how dishonesty often involves multiple sins working together.
💡 Application: Practice complete honesty in all your dealings, knowing that small deceptions can lead to bigger ones.
3. 📖 Proverbs 12:22
“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
🔍 Meaning: God has a strong emotional response to lies He detests them but He delights in those who build trust through truthfulness.
💡 Application: Choose words that build trust rather than deceive, remembering that trustworthiness brings God joy.
4. 📖 Proverbs 6:16-17
“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood…”
🔍 Meaning: Lying is listed among the things God hates most, emphasizing the serious nature of deceit.
💡 Application: Take inventory of your speech patterns and eliminate deceptive language from your vocabulary.
5. 📖 Mark 10:19
“You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.'”
🔍 Meaning: Jesus reaffirms the commandments against theft and false testimony, showing their continued importance in Christian living.
💡 Application: Let Jesus’ teachings guide your moral decisions, especially regarding honesty and integrity.
The Consequences of Dishonesty (Verses 6-10)
6. 📖 Proverbs 19:9
“A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.”
🔍 Meaning: Lying carries serious consequences both in this life and eternally showing God’s justice at work.
💡 Application: Remember that temporary gains from dishonesty lead to long-term loss and destruction.
7. 📖 Proverbs 21:6
“A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.”
🔍 Meaning: Wealth gained through dishonest means is temporary and ultimately becomes a trap that destroys the person.
💡 Application: Build your financial life on honest work rather than shortcuts that compromise your integrity.
8. 📖 Jeremiah 7:9-10
“Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, ‘We are safe’ safe to do all these detestable things?”
🔍 Meaning: God condemns hypocrisy in faith claiming to follow Him while practicing dishonesty and theft.
💡 Application: Align your actions with your faith rather than using religion as a cover for wrong behavior.
9. 📖 Hosea 4:2
“There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.”
🔍 Meaning: When lying and stealing become common, society breaks down and violence increases.
💡 Application: Be part of the solution by practicing honesty and integrity in your community.
10. 📖 Proverbs 10:2
“Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.”
🔍 Meaning: Dishonest gain provides no lasting benefit, while righteous living offers true security and life.
💡 Application: Choose the path of righteousness even when it seems harder, knowing it leads to real prosperity.
The Value of Truth and Honesty (Verses 11-15)
11. 📖 John 14:6
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'”
🔍 Meaning: Jesus identifies Himself as truth itself, showing that God’s character is fundamentally truthful.
💡 Application: Pattern your life after Jesus by making truthfulness a core part of your character.
12. 📖 John 8:32
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
🔍 Meaning: Truth brings freedom, while lies create bondage and confusion in our lives.
💡 Application: Choose honesty as the pathway to spiritual freedom and peace.
13. 📖 Psalm 119:160
“All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”
🔍 Meaning: God’s truth is unchanging and eternal, providing a solid foundation for life.
💡 Application: Ground your decisions in God’s truth rather than the shifting opinions of culture.
14. 📖 Proverbs 11:3
“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
🔍 Meaning: Integrity serves as an internal compass, while dishonesty leads to self-destruction.
💡 Application: Let integrity be your guide when facing difficult decisions or temptations.
15. 📖 Psalm 15:1-2
“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart.”
🔍 Meaning: Speaking truth from the heart is a requirement for close fellowship with God.
💡 Application: Cultivate honesty not just in your words but in your heart’s intentions.
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Practical Christian Living (Verses 16-20)
16. 📖 Ephesians 4:25
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”
🔍 Meaning: Truthfulness is essential for healthy Christian community and unity in the body of Christ.
💡 Application: Practice honesty in all your relationships, especially with fellow believers.
17. 📖 Ephesians 4:28
“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”
🔍 Meaning: Repentance from theft involves turning to honest work and becoming generous rather than selfish.
💡 Application: Transform any dishonest tendencies by focusing on how you can serve and give to others.
18. 📖 Colossians 3:9
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.”
🔍 Meaning: Lying belongs to our old nature; as Christians, we’re called to put on new patterns of truthfulness.
💡 Application: Recognize that dishonesty is inconsistent with your new identity in Christ.
19. 📖 Zechariah 8:16
“These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts.”
🔍 Meaning: Truth-telling should characterize both personal relationships and public justice.
💡 Application: Be committed to honesty in every sphere of life, from family to work to community involvement.
20. 📖 1 Peter 3:16
“Keep a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
🔍 Meaning: Living with integrity protects you from accusations and demonstrates Christ’s character to others.
💡 Application: Let your honest living be a testimony that silences critics and points others to Jesus.
God’s Heart for Justice and Restoration (Verses 21-25)
21. 📖 Psalm 101:7
“No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.”
🔍 Meaning: Dishonesty creates separation from God, while truthfulness allows for intimate relationship with Him.
💡 Application: Examine your heart for any deception that might be hindering your relationship with God.
22. 📖 Proverbs 19:5
“A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.”
🔍 Meaning: God’s justice ensures that lying and false testimony will ultimately be exposed and punished.
💡 Application: Trust God’s justice system rather than trying to manipulate situations through dishonesty.
23. 📖 Proverbs 13:11 “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.”
🔍 Meaning: Honest work and gradual building create lasting wealth, while dishonest gain disappears quickly.
💡 Application: Be patient with God’s process of blessing rather than seeking shortcuts through dishonesty.
24. 📖 Proverbs 20:7
“The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.”
🔍 Meaning: Integrity has a generational impact, blessing not just you but your children and their children.
💡 Application: Choose honesty today knowing it will positively impact future generations of your family.
25. 📖 Psalm 34:13
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.”
🔍 Meaning: Controlling our speech to avoid lying is an active choice that requires daily vigilance.
💡 Application: Practice mindful speech, thinking before you speak to ensure your words are truthful.
Walking in God’s Truth (Verses 26-30)
26. 📖 Psalm 25:5
“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
🔍 Meaning: We need God’s help to walk in truth it’s not something we can achieve through willpower alone.
💡 Application: Daily ask God to guide you in truthfulness and help you see areas where you need growth.
27. 📖 Psalm 86:11
“Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”
🔍 Meaning: An undivided heart is necessary for integrity we cannot serve both truth and deception.
💡 Application: Ask God to unite your heart around truthfulness and integrity.
28. 📖 James 5:12
“Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
🔍 Meaning: Simple truthfulness should be so consistent that you don’t need elaborate promises to be believed.
💡 Application: Build such a reputation for honesty that your simple word is trusted completely.
29. 📖 Hebrews 6:18
“God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.”
🔍 Meaning: God’s character as someone who cannot lie gives us security and hope in His promises.
💡 Application: Let God’s truthfulness be your model and your source of confidence in life.
30. 📖 1 John 5:20
“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
🔍 Meaning: Through Jesus, we can know and participate in God’s truth, making truthfulness possible for us.
💡 Application: Draw strength from your connection to Jesus, who is truth itself, to live with integrity.
Final Verses for Encouragement (Verses 31-35)
31. 📖 Proverbs 24:26
“An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.”
🔍 Meaning: Honest communication is a beautiful gift that brings joy and connection to relationships.
💡 Application: See truthfulness as a way to show love and respect to others.
32. 📖 Proverbs 27:5
“Better is open rebuke than hidden love.”
🔍 Meaning: Honest correction shows more love than withholding truth to avoid conflict.
💡 Application: Practice loving correction when you see others heading in harmful directions.
33. 📖 Psalm 41:12
“Because of my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.”
🔍 Meaning: Integrity brings us into God’s presence and earns His support in our lives.
💡 Application: Let integrity be your pathway to deeper intimacy with God.
34. 📖 Psalm 33:4
“For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.”
🔍 Meaning: God’s faithfulness and truthfulness are completely reliable, unlike human promises.
💡 Application: When others disappoint you through dishonesty, remember that God’s character is perfectly trustworthy.
35. 📖 3 John 1:4
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
🔍 Meaning: Walking in truth brings joy to spiritual leaders and ultimately to God Himself.
💡 Application: Live in such a way that your truthfulness brings joy to those who care about your spiritual growth.
How to Apply These Verses in Real Life
Practice Daily Honesty Checks: Before speaking, ask yourself: “Is this completely true? Is it helpful? Is it kind?” This simple filter can transform your communication patterns and help you develop integrity in Christian faith.
Memorize Key Verses: Choose 3-5 verses from this list that particularly speak to your heart. Write them on cards and review them daily. When tempted to lie or take shortcuts, recall these scriptures about integrity to strengthen your resolve.
Create Accountability: Share your commitment to honesty with a trusted friend or mentor. Ask them to help you grow in trustworthiness by gently pointing out areas where you might be stretching the truth or cutting corners.
Make Restitution: If you’ve been dishonest or taken something that doesn’t belong to you, take steps to make things right. This might mean returning items, apologizing for lies, or correcting false impressions you’ve created.
Pray for Transformation: Ask God to give you a heart that loves truth as much as He does. Pray for spiritual integrity and the courage to do what’s right even when it’s difficult or costly.
Final Encouragement: Freedom Through God’s Truth
Living with integrity isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it. When you choose honesty over deception and righteousness over temporary gain, you’re aligning yourself with God’s character and opening the door to His blessings in your life. Remember that Jesus Christ Himself is truth when you follow Him, you’re not just learning principles about honesty, you’re connecting with the Source of all truth.
The freedom that comes from truthful living is remarkable. You never have to worry about keeping your story straight, remember what you said to whom, or live in fear of being found out. Integrity brings peace, builds trust, and creates the foundation for deep, meaningful relationships with both God and others. As you apply these Bible verses about lying and stealing to your daily life, you’ll discover that God’s truth truly does set you free.
FAQs
What does the Bible say about people who lie and steal?
The Bible teaches that lying and stealing are serious sins that damage relationships with God and others. Proverbs 12:22 tells us that “The Lord detests lying lips,” while Exodus 20:15 clearly commands “You shall not steal.” However, the Bible also offers hope for repentance and transformation through God’s grace.
How can I stop lying and stealing according to the Bible?
Biblical transformation starts with repentance and turning to God for help. Ephesians 4:28 shows the path: stop the wrong behavior, replace it with honest work, and focus on helping others. Colossians 3:9 reminds us that lying belongs to our old nature, and we can put on new patterns of truthfulness through Christ.
Are there consequences for dishonesty mentioned in the Bible?
Yes, the Bible clearly outlines consequences of lying and stealing. Proverbs 19:9 warns that “A false witness will not go unpunished,” while Proverbs 21:6 teaches that wealth gained through dishonest means becomes “a deadly snare.” However, God’s justice is balanced with mercy for those who truly repent.
How does honesty reflect God’s character?
Honesty reflects God’s character because God is truth itself. John 14:6 shows us that Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” and Hebrews 6:18 tells us it’s “impossible for God to lie.” When we practice integrity, we mirror God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness to the world around us.
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Piper McMillan is a passionate writer and educator dedicated to sharing the beauty and depth of the Bible. As the author behind the Piper McMillan website, she explores Bible verses, unlocks biblical narratives, and provides insights for living a Christ-centered life. Through warm, approachable, and inspiring articles, Piper guides readers to deepen their understanding of Scripture and apply its timeless wisdom to daily living. Her mission is to uplift, educate, and help others walk faithfully with God, rooted in His word.
