Deception

The first deception in the Bible takes only a few words. The serpent asks Eve whether God really said what she remembered, and afterward she admits, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:13). From there the Bible tells of Jacob wearing his brother’s clothes to win a blessing, and of Joseph’s brothers showing their father a bloodied coat. It also warns about being fooled. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9), and Jesus says, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4). Deceit is not only done to us; the Bible is frank that we can deceive ourselves.

567 verses

Genesis

Genesis 12:11

And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

Genesis 12:12

Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

Genesis 12:13

Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

Genesis 12:14

And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

Genesis 12:15

The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

Genesis 12:16

And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

Exodus

Exodus 8:15

But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

Exodus 8:28

And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.

Exodus 8:29

And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.

Exodus 8:32

And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

Exodus 9:27

And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

Exodus 9:28

Intreat the LORD(for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.

Exodus 9:29

And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD'S.

Exodus 9:30

But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.

Exodus 9:31

And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.

Exodus 9:32

But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.

Exodus 9:33

And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.

Exodus 9:34

And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

Exodus 9:35

And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

Exodus 20:16

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Exodus 23:1

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Leviticus

Leviticus 6:2

If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;

Leviticus 6:3

Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:

Leviticus 6:4

Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,

Leviticus 6:5

Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.

Leviticus 6:6

And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:

Leviticus 6:7

And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.

Leviticus 19:11

Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

Leviticus 19:12

And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:16

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

Job

Job 1:9

Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

Job 1:10

Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

Job 8:13

So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:

Job 8:14

Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.

Job 8:15

He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

Job 13:4

But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

Job 13:16

He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

Job 15:31

Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.

Job 15:33

He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

Job 15:34

For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

Job 17:8

Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

Job 20:4

Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,

Job 20:5

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

Job 20:6

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

Job 20:7

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

Job 20:8

He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

Job 20:9

The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

Job 20:10

His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

Job 20:11

His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

Job 20:12

Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;

Job 20:13

Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

Job 20:14

Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

Job 20:15

He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

Job 20:16

He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.

Job 20:17

He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

Job 20:18

That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

Job 21:34

How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?

Job 27:4

My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

Job 27:8

For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

Job 27:9

Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

Job 27:10

Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

Job 27:13

This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.

Job 27:14

If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

Job 27:15

Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.

Job 27:16

Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;

Job 27:17

He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

Job 27:18

He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.

Job 31:5

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

Job 31:6

Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

Job 31:33

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

Job 31:34

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

Job 34:30

That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.

Job 36:4

For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

Job 36:13

But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.

Job 36:14

They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

Psalms

Psalms 5:6

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

Psalms 5:9

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

Psalms 10:7

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

Psalms 12:2

They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

Psalms 12:3

The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:

Psalms 24:4

He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Psalms 24:5

He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Psalms 28:3

Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.

Psalms 31:18

Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Psalms 34:13

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Psalms 35:20

For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

Psalms 36:3

The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

Psalms 38:12

They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

Psalms 43:1

Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

Psalms 50:16

But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

Psalms 50:17

Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.

Psalms 50:19

Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.

Psalms 50:20

Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.

Psalms 52:2

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

Psalms 52:3

Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

Psalms 52:4

Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

Psalms 52:5

God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

Psalms 55:12

For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

Psalms 55:13

But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

Psalms 55:14

We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

Based on Nave's Topical Bible by Orville J. Nave (1896). Public domain. KJV scripture text, public domain.