Thematic Bible: Vices
Thematic Bible
Vices » Dishonesty » Condemned
But an accurate scale is His delight.
A merchant, in whose hand are false and fraudulent balances;
He loves to oppress and exploit.
“Can I [be guiltless and] justify deceptive scales
And a bag of dishonest weights?
“Like the partridge that hatches eggs which she has not laid,
So is he who makes a fortune in ways that are unjust.
It will be lost to him before his days are over,
And in the end he will be [nothing but] a fool.”
“It is [almost] worthless, it is [almost] worthless,” says the buyer [as he negotiates the price];
But when he goes his way, then he boasts [about his bargain].
“You shall not have in your bag inaccurate weights, a heavy and a light [so you can cheat others].
Verse Concepts
Differing weights [one for buying and another for selling] and differing measures,
Both of them are detestable and offensive to the Lord.
Acquiring treasures by a lying tongue
Is a fleeting vapor, the seeking and pursuit of death.
“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds his house by [acts of] unrighteousness
And his upper chambers by injustice,
Who uses his neighbor’s service without pay
And does not give him wages [for his work],
Vices » Dishonesty » Unjust gain
“Like the partridge that hatches eggs which she has not laid,
So is he who makes a fortune in ways that are unjust.
It will be lost to him before his days are over,
And in the end he will be [nothing but] a fool.”
Acquiring treasures by a lying tongue
Is a fleeting vapor, the seeking and pursuit of death.
“Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds his house by [acts of] unrighteousness
And his upper chambers by injustice,
Who uses his neighbor’s service without pay
And does not give him wages [for his work],
Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income [gained] with injustice.
He who oppresses or exploits the poor to get more for himself
Or who gives to the rich [to gain influence and favor], will only come to poverty.
He who increases his wealth by interest and usury (excessive interest)
Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.
“Behold, therefore, I strike My hands [together] at your dishonest gain which you have acquired and at the bloodshed which is among you.
Verse Concepts
Look! The wages that you have [fraudulently] withheld from the laborers who have mowed your fields are crying out [against you for vengeance]; and the cries of the harvesters have come to the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
Verse Concepts
Vices » Dishonesty » Extortion
So as to deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor of My people of rightful claims,
So that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the fatherless.
In you they have accepted bribes to shed blood; you have taken [forbidden] interest and [a percentage of] profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression and extortion, and you have forgotten Me,” says the Lord God.
Verse Concepts
Therefore, because you impose heavy rent on the poor
And demand a tribute (food-tax) of grain from them,
Though you have built [luxurious] houses of square stone,
You will not live in them;
You have planted beautiful vineyards, but you will not drink their wine.
And he told them, “Collect no more than the fixed amount you have been ordered to [collect].”
Verse Concepts
not meaning the immoral people of this world, or the greedy ones and swindlers, or idolaters, for then you would have to get out of the world and human society altogether!
Verse Concepts
Vices » Dishonesty » Examples of
Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now reign over Israel? Get up, eat food, and let your heart rejoice; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
Verse Concepts
Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water which the servants of Abimelech had [violently] seized [from him],
Verse Concepts
the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours!” So Isaac named the well Esek (quarreling), because they quarreled with him.
Verse Concepts
These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for [my share of] your flocks, and you have changed my wages ten times.
Verse Concepts
Israel has sinned; they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them [to keep]. They have even taken some of the things under the ban, and they have both stolen and denied [the theft]. Moreover, they have also put the stolen objects among their own things.
Verse Concepts
And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you cursed [the thief] and also spoke about in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son before the Lord.”
Verse Concepts
Now the five men who had gone to scout the land went up and entered the house and took the image [of silver-plated wood], the ephod, the teraphim, and the cast image [of solid silver], while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
Verse Concepts
Vices » Found in business » Breach of trust
“When anyone sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor (companion, associate) in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor,
Verse Concepts
“Do not gaze at me because I am deeply tanned,
[I have worked in] the sun; it has left its mark on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me keeper of the vineyards,
But my own vineyard (my complexion) I have not kept.”
You also took your beautiful jewels and beautiful vessels made of My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men so that you could prostitute yourself with them;
Verse Concepts
Vices » Dishonesty » Of children
Then Elisha went up from Jericho to Bethel. On the way, young boys came out of the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
Verse Concepts
“Even young children despise me;
When I get up, they speak against me.
“On my right the [rabble] brood rises;
They push my feet away, and they build up their ways of destruction against me [like an advancing army].
And the people will be oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;
The boy will be arrogant and insolent toward the elder
And the vulgar (common) toward the honorable [person of rank].
Vices » Dishonesty » Fraud
‘You shall not oppress or exploit your neighbor, nor rob him. You shall not withhold the wages of a hired man overnight until morning.
Verse Concepts
On the contrary, it is you who wrong and defraud, and you do this even to your brothers and sisters.
Verse Concepts
Related Topics
- Abominations
- Abominations, To God
- Accuracy
- Balances, Dishonest Use
- Balances, For Business
- Business Ethics
- Buying and selling
- Cheating
- Commerce
- Covenant breakers
- Coveting
- Deceit, Practice Of
- Deception, Forbidden By God
- Dishonesty
- Dishonesty Condemned
- Dishonesty, Examples Of
- Dishonesty, Kinds Of
- Disrespect For Old Age
- Do Not Steal
- Employers
- Extortion
- Extortion, Examples Of
- Fraud
- Grasping
- Greed
- Greed, Condemnation Of
- Helping The Poor
- Hiring
- Immaturity
- Injustice
- Injustice, Examples Of
- Injustice, Nature And Source Of
- Interest
- Just Weights
- Manipulation
- Markets
- Masters
- Money, Stewardship Of
- Not Helping The Poor
- Oppression, Nature Of
- Oppressors
- Outcry
- Poor, Oppression Of
- Poverty, Causes Of
- Profits
- Rich, The
- Riches, Dangers Of
- Riches, Ungodly Use Of
- Saving Money
- Servants, Bad
- Servants, Working Conditions Of
- Serving Individuals
- Settling Accounts
- Social duties
- Stealing
- Trade
- Treasure
- Trustworthiness
- Under The Ban
- Unjust Gain
- Wages
- Weights And Measures, Laws
- Work, And The Fall
- Balance
- Cheaters
- Oppression
- Taxes
- Weight