Dishonesty is a serious issue that is addressed many times throughout the Bible. God cares deeply about truthfulness and integrity, and Scripture contains clear warnings against all forms of deceit, cheating, fraud, and dishonest gain. Here is an overview of some key Bible passages that deal with the topic of dishonesty:
Exodus 20:16 – “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
This commandment prohibition against bearing false witness is found in the Ten Commandments. It forbids lying, slander, libel, and any form of dishonest testimony that could harm another person’s reputation or jeopardize their life. Truthfulness in legal matters and all relationships is of utmost importance to God.
Leviticus 19:11 – “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.”
Along with prohibiting stealing, this verse condemns dealing falsely or lying to others. It emphasizes honest and ethical business practices, not deceiving people for unjust gain.
Deuteronomy 25:13-16 – “You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the Lord your God.”
God strongly condemns dishonest weights and measures, which were used to cheat customers. He calls those who act dishonestly an “abomination.” Fair business practices reflect His character.
Psalm 15:1-2, 4-5 – “O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart…[he] swears to his own hurt and does not change; he does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent.”
Those who are righteous truthful people will dwell with God. Even when it hurts, they keep their vows and do not accept bribes or exploit others.
Psalm 24:3-4 – “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.”
To draw near to God, we must purify our hearts and not cling to what is false or dishonest.
Psalm 101:7 – “No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.”
God will not tolerate deceit; liars will not abide in His presence.
Proverbs 6:16-17 – “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood…”
Of the things God hates, dishonesty in the form of lying makes the list.
Proverbs 10:9 – “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.”
The blameless person who walks with integrity can feel secure, while the dishonest will ultimately face exposure.
Proverbs 11:1 – “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.”
As mentioned in Deuteronomy, God abhors dishonest business practices but delights when people use just weights and measures.
Proverbs 12:22 – “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”
Again, God finds lies and dishonesty detestable, but He delights in those who act faithfully and with integrity.
Proverbs 20:17 – “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.”
There may be short term gain in dishonesty, but it ultimately leads to disaster and emptiness.
Jeremiah 9:4-5 – “Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity.”
The prophet Jeremiah lamented the rampant dishonesty of his day, as lying and mistrust destroyed relationships. Truth had been replaced by deceit.
Hosea 4:1-2 – “Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.”
Through the prophet Hosea, God indicted the rampant dishonesty and lack of knowledge of Him in the land. Covenant unfaithfulness and deceit had led to societal breakdown.
Zechariah 5:3-4 – “Then he said to me, ‘This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.'”
Swearing falsely in God’s name brings His curse. God will purify the land by destroying the houses of thieves and liars.
Zechariah 8:16-17 – “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”
God calls His people to honesty, integrity, and purity of speech. False oaths and evil intentions have no place for those who follow Him.
Malachi 3:5 – “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.”
Those who exploit others and swear falsely have reason to fear God’s coming judgment. He defends the vulnerable against dishonest gain.
Matthew 5:33-37 – “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King… Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”
Jesus took Old Testament teachings against dishonest oaths a step further, saying we should simply let our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. Anything beyond that risks evil motives.
John 8:44-45 – “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.”
Jesus identified the devil as the father of lies who opposes the truth. As God’s children, we are to share His character of truth, not Satan’s character of deceit.
Acts 5:1-11 – “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…You have not lied to man but to God.’ When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last…His wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.’ And she said, ‘Yes, for so much.’ But Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.’ Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last.”
This account displays God’s serious judgment against Ananias and Sapphira’s deception and collusion in keeping back money from the early church.
Romans 12:17-18 – “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
We are to live blamelessly and honorably, avoiding retaliation and dishonesty that disrupts peace.
Ephesians 4:24-25 – “Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”
As new creations in Christ, we are to put off falsehood and be completely honest with others, just as God is true.
Colossians 3:9-10 – “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
Since we have put off the old sinful nature, we are to reject lying and live out the renewed nature which reflects our Creator.
Titus 2:7-8 – “…[set] yourself as an example of good works in every way. Show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned.”
Leaders especially are to set an example of integrity through honest, dignified, and blameless speech.
Hebrews 6:18 – “…it is impossible for God to lie…”
Lying contradicts God’s character. He is the source of absolute, unchanging truth.
1 Peter 2:1 – “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”
Honesty and obedience to God’s truth purify us to love one another genuinely, from pure motives.
1 Peter 3:10 – “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”
To live an abundant, peaceful life, we must control our speech and avoid all deceit and falsehood.
1 John 2:21 – “I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.”
Lying has no place for those who know the truth of Christ.
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Those who stubbornly cling to lies and dishonesty, refusing to repent, will tragically face eternal judgment.
Revelation 21:27 – “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
God’s eternal kingdom will only include those cleansed and redeemed by Christ, not those still deceitful and false.
In summary, Scripture contains sobering warnings against all forms of dishonesty and lying. God is a God of truth and He desires truth and integrity to characterize the lives of His people. Deceit is a dangerous sin that widens rifts between people and offends our holy God. Yet by God’s grace, even liars and the dishonest can experience forgiveness and new life in Christ. By the Spirit’s power, true change is possible as we seek to become people of honesty, fairness and pure speech that honors the Lord.