Deception destroys trust, breaks relationships, and distances us from God’s truth. From the Garden of Eden to today, lying and manipulation have caused immeasurable harm to individuals and communities.
The Bible speaks clearly about dishonesty, revealing God’s heart for truth and His justice against those who deceive. These verses offer wisdom, protection, and hope for anyone wounded by lies or struggling to walk in integrity.
Why God Hates Lying and Deceit
God is the author of truth, and His very nature opposes all forms of deception. Lying contradicts His character and damages the trust He designed for human relationships. Scripture consistently shows that dishonesty is not merely a mistake but a serious offense that reflects a heart distant from God’s righteousness.
1. Proverbs 6:16-19 “These six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
2. Proverbs 12:22 “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
3. John 8:44 “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
4. Psalm 101:7 “No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.”
5. Colossians 3:9 “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.”
6. Revelation 21:8 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
7. Proverbs 10:18 “Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.”
8. 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.”
9. Psalm 5:6 “You destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest.”
10. Zephaniah 3:13 “The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.”
11. 1 Peter 3:10 “For whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.”
12. Proverbs 13:5 “The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.”
13. Psalm 34:13 “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.”
14. Jeremiah 9:8 “Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully. With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors, but in their hearts they set traps for them.”
15. Proverbs 21:6 “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.”
16. Micah 6:12 “Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully.”
17. Psalm 120:2 “Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.”
18. Proverbs 17:4 “A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.”
19. Romans 16:18 “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”
20. James 3:14 “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.”
Warnings About False Witnesses
False testimony can destroy lives, reputations, and communities. The Bible repeatedly warns against bearing false witness, emphasizing that God sees all deception and will bring justice. These verses protect the innocent and expose those who use lies as weapons against others.
21. Exodus 20:16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
22. Proverbs 19:5 “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.”
23. Proverbs 19:9 “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.”
24. Proverbs 14:5 “An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.”
25. Proverbs 25:18 “Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.”
26. Proverbs 24:28 “Do not testify against your neighbor without cause—would you use your lips to mislead?”
27. Deuteronomy 19:16-19 “If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party.”
28. Psalm 27:12 “Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.”
29. Matthew 15:19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”
30. Proverbs 21:28 “A false witness will perish, but a careful listener will testify successfully.”
31. Job 13:4 “You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!”
32. Psalm 109:2-3 “For people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.”
33. Matthew 26:59-60 “The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.”
34. Acts 6:13 “They produced false witnesses, who testified, ‘This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.'”
35. Proverbs 12:17 “An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies.”
36. Proverbs 6:19 “A false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
37. Mark 14:56-57 “Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him.”
38. Luke 3:14 “Then some soldiers asked him, ‘And what should we do?’ He replied, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.'”
39. 1 Kings 21:10 “But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”
40. Psalm 35:11 “Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.”
Recognizing Manipulators and Hypocrisy
Manipulators often disguise their true intentions with flattery, smooth words, and false kindness. The Bible teaches discernment, warning believers to look beyond charming speech and recognize deceitful hearts. These verses help identify those who use words as weapons to control and deceive others.
41. Proverbs 26:24-26 “Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.”
42. Psalm 55:21 “His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.”
43. Proverbs 26:28 “A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.”
44. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.”
45. Jeremiah 9:5 “Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning.”
46. Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
47. Proverbs 11:9 “With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.”
48. Psalm 62:4 “Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.”
49. Proverbs 26:23 “Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.”
50. Isaiah 32:7 “Scoundrels use wicked methods, they make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.”
51. Hosea 11:12 “Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, Israel with deceit. And Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful Holy One.”
52. Proverbs 12:5 “The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.”
53. Psalm 52:2-4 “You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue!”
54. Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
55. Proverbs 20:17 “Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.”
56. 2 Peter 2:1-3 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.”
57. Titus 1:10 “For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.”
58. Psalm 36:3 “The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good.”
59. Proverbs 26:18-19 “Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, ‘I was only joking!'”
60. Romans 3:13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
Consequences of Dishonesty
Lying always brings consequences—sometimes immediate, sometimes delayed, but always certain. The Bible makes clear that deceit leads to destruction, judgment, and separation from God. These verses warn that temporary gains through dishonesty ultimately result in lasting loss and divine justice.
61. Proverbs 19:9 “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.”
62. Luke 8:17 “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”
63. Psalm 12:2-6 “Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts. May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue—those who say, ‘By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?’ Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise, says the Lord. I will protect them from those who malign them. And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.”
64. Revelation 22:15 “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”
65. Psalm 101:7 “No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.”
66. Proverbs 21:6 “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.”
67. Numbers 23:19 “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
68. Psalm 63:11 “But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.”
69. Proverbs 10:9 “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.”
70. Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
71. Proverbs 19:5 “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.”
72. Job 27:4 “My lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies.”
73. Psalm 31:18 “Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.”
74. Isaiah 59:3-4 “For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.”
75. Jeremiah 23:32 “Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams, declares the Lord. They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least, declares the Lord.”
76. Proverbs 11:3 “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
77. Psalm 52:5 “Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.”
78. 1 Timothy 4:2 “Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”
79. Amos 2:4 “This is what the Lord says: ‘For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent. Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed.'”
80. Proverbs 17:7 “Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—how much worse lying lips to a ruler!”
God’s Forgiveness and Help to Stop Lying
While God hates lying, He offers grace and transformation to those who repent. No one is beyond His forgiveness, and through His strength, believers can break free from patterns of deception. These verses remind us that honesty is possible through Christ’s power and that God restores those who turn from dishonesty to truth.
81. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
82. Daniel 9:9 “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.”
83. Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
84. 1 Timothy 1:15 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”
85. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
86. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
87. 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
88. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
89. Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
90. Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
91. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
92. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
93. Psalm 32:5 “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
94. Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
95. Isaiah 1:18 “‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'”
96. Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
97. James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
98. Micah 7:18-19 “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
99. Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
100. John 8:32 “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Conclusion
The Bible leaves no doubt that lying and manipulation are serious offenses against God and others. Deception destroys trust, damages relationships, and separates us from the truth that sets us free. Yet God’s Word also offers hope—forgiveness for those who repent and strength to walk in honesty through Christ’s power.
Whether you’ve been wounded by lies or struggle with dishonesty yourself, Scripture provides wisdom, protection, and transformation. Choose truth today, knowing that integrity honors God and brings lasting peace to your life.
David is the founder of devotionnest.com, a site dedicated to Bible Verses and clever wordplay. He loves turning language into laughter and making words wonderfully witty.