53 Bible Verses about Self Deception

If we say that we have no sin, we lead ourselves astray, and the truth is not in us.

The transgression of the wicked man says within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, that his iniquity will not be found out and be hated. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit. He has ceased to be wise [and] to do good.read more.
He devises iniquity upon his bed. He sets himself in a way that is not good. He does not abhor evil.

Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor. Thou did not find them breaking in. But it is because of all these things. Yet thou said, I am innocent. Surely his anger is turned away from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee because thou say, I have not sinned.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it? I, LORD, search the mind. I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

Or know ye not that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not led astray. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate men, nor homosexuals, nor greedy men, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor the slanderous, nor the predatory will inherit the kingdom of God.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Because thou say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do not know that thou are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye close up the kingdom of the heavens ahead of men. For ye enter not in, nor do ye allow those who are entering to enter in. But woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye devour widows' houses, and praying long in pretence. Because of this ye will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye encompass the sea and the land to make one proselyte, and when it happens, ye make him twice more a son of hell than yourselves.

But woe to you Pharisees! Because ye tithe mint and rue and every plant, and pass by justice and the love of God. It is necessary to do these things, and not to neglect those things. Woe to you Pharisees! Because ye love the place of honor in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye are like the unseen sepulchers, and the men who walk over them do not know.read more.
And having answered, a certain man of the lawyers says to him, Teacher, in saying these things thou rebuke us also. And he said, Woe also to you lawyers! Because ye load men with burdens difficult to bear, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! Because ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, but your fathers killed them. Consequently, ye testify and approve the works of your fathers, because they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers. Because of this also the wisdom of God said, I will send to them prophets and apostles. And some of them they will kill and persecute, so that the blood of all the prophets that was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I say to you, it will be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers! Because ye took away the key of knowledge. Ye did not enter in yourselves, and ye hindered those who were entering in.

They answered to him, We are Abraham's seed, and have been in bondage to no man, ever. How can thou say, Ye will become free? Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, that every man who does the sin is a bondman of the sin.

But become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this resembles a man observing his natural face in a mirror. For he observes himself, and goes away, and straightaway forgets what kind of man he was.read more.
But he who stooped to look into the perfect law, the one of liberty, and who remained, this man, who did not become a forgetful hearer but a doer of work, this man will be blessed in his doing. If any man among you seems to be religious, not bridling his tongue but deceiving his heart, this man's religion is futile.

Go now, men who say, Today and tomorrow we will go into this city, and will operate one year there, and will engage in trade and will get gain-- men who know not of the morrow. For what is your life? For it will be a vapor that appears for a little while, and then also vanishes away-- in place of your saying, If the Lord should will, then we will live and do this or that.read more.
But now ye boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means. And my people love to have it so. And what will ye do in the end thereof?

For from the least of them even to the greatest of them everyone is given to covetousness. And from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. They have also lightly healed the hurt of my people, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.

Therefore I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who shall possess them. For everyone from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness. From the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. And they have lightly healed the hurt of the daughter of my people, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.

Then LORD said to me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name. I did not send them, nor have I commanded them, nor did I speak to them. They prophesy to you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of the Therefore thus says LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, and I did not send them, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land: By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword, and they shall have none to bury them--them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters. For I will pour

Thus says LORD of hosts: Hearken not to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They teach you vanity. They speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of LORD. They say continually to those who despise me, LORD has said, Ye shall have peace. And to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, No evil shall come upon you. For who has stood in the council of LORD, that he should perceive and hear his word? Who has marked my word, and heard it?

Have ye not seen a FALSE vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, in that ye say, LORD says, albeit I have not spoken? Therefore thus says lord LORD: Because ye have spoken falsehood, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, says lord LORD. And my hand shall be against the prophets who see FALSE visions, and who divine lies. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the

Thus says LORD concerning the prophets who make my people to err, who bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace. And he who does not put into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.

And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The land of a certain rich man brought forth well. And he pondered within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have nowhere I will store my crops? And he said, I will do this. I will dismantle my barns, and I will build greater, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.read more.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou have many goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Thou foolish man, they demand thy soul from thee this night, and the things that thou prepared, whose will they be?

Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods that ye have not known, and [then] come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered, that ye may do all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, says LORD.

Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath, but with him who stands here with us this day before LORD our God, and also with him who is not here with us this day (for ye know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which ye passed,read more.
and ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them). Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turns away this day from LORD our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations. Lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood, and it comes to pass, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart, to destroy the moist with the dry. LORD will not pardon him, but then the anger of LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the curse that is written in this book shall lay upon him, and LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. And LORD will set him apart to evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that is written in this book of the law.

Thus says LORD: Do not deceive yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us. For they shall not depart. For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yea they would rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance. And think not to say within yourselves, We have a father, Abraham. For I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say within yourselves, We have a father, Abraham. For I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

Not every man who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of my Father in the heavens. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? And then I will profess to them, I never acknowledged you. Depart from me, ye who work lawlessness.

From the time the house-ruler has risen up, and has closed the door, and ye begin to stand outside, and to knock the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, and having answered, he will say to you, I know not where ye are from, then ye will begin to say, We ate and drank in thy presence, and thou taught in our thoroughfares. And he will say, I tell you, I know not where ye are from. Depart from me, all ye workmen of unrighteousness.

Then he will also say to those at the left hand, Depart from me, ye accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his agents. For I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat, I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink, I was a stranger, and ye did not take me in, naked, and ye did not clothe me, weak, and in prison, and ye did not come to help me.read more.
Then they will also answer, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or weak, or in prison, and did not serve thee? Then he will answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of these least, ye did it not to me. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus says to them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. Ye do the works of your father. They said therefore to him, We were not begotten from fornication. We have one Father, God.read more.
Therefore Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, ye would love me, for I came forth and have come from God. For, neither have I come for myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? Because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are from the father, the devil, and ye want to do the desires of your father. He was a man-killer from the beginning, and he has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his And I, because I speak the truth, ye do not believe me. Which of you convicts me about sin? And if I speak truth, why do ye not believe me? He who is of God hears the sayings of God. Because of this ye do not hear, because ye are not of God.

Behold, thou are called a Jew, and rely upon the law, and boast in God, and know his will, and approve the things that are significant, being instructed out of the law. And thou have confidence in thyself to be a guide of the blind, a light of those in darkness,read more.
a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the childlike, having in the law the essence of knowledge and truth, thou therefore who teach another, do thou not teach thyself? Thou who preach not to steal, do thou steal? Thou who say not to commit adultery, do thou commit adultery? Thou who abhor idols, do thou rob temples? Thou who boast in law, dishonor God by thy transgression of the law. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, just as it is written. For circumcision is indeed beneficial if thou perform law, but if thou are a transgressor of law, thy circumcision has become uncircumcision. If therefore a man of uncircumcision keeps the ordinances of the law, will not his uncircumcision be considered circumcision? And the man of natural uncircumcision who fulfills the law, will judge thee, a transgressor of law through a document and circumcision. For he is not a Jew in what is visible, nor is circumcision in what is visible, in flesh, but he is a Jew in what is hidden, and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit not a document, whose praise is not from men but from God.

Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, instead, the keeping of God's commandments.

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workmen, beware of the excision. For we are the circumcision, men who worship in spirit to God, and who boast in Christ Jesus, and not being confident in flesh. Although (I having confidence also in flesh) if any other man seems to be confident in the flesh, I more:read more.
in circumcision the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; regarding law, a Pharisee; regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness in law, having become blameless. But whatever was gain to me, these things I regarded loss because of the Christ.

Let not one man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, He who catches the wise in their craftiness, and again, Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are vain.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who is wise hearkens to counsel.

As for thy formidableness, the pride of thy heart has deceived thee, O thou who dwells in the clefts of the rock, who holds the height of the hill. Though thou should make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from

But having answered, Peter said to him, If all men will be caused to stumble by thee, I will never be caused to stumble. Jesus said to him, Truly I say to thee, that in this night, before a cock sounds, thou will deny me thrice. Peter says to him, Even if I must die with thee, I will, no, not deny thee. And likewise also, said all the disciples.

And Jesus says to them, All ye will be caused to stumble by me this night, because it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said to him, Even if all will be caused to stumble, yet not I.read more.
And Jesus says to him, Truly I say to thee, that thou today, in this night, before a cock sounds twice, will deny me thrice. But he spoke more extreme, If I must die with thee, I will, no, not deny thee. And they all spoke the same way also.

And he said to him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee both to prison and to death. And he said, I say to thee, Peter, a cock will, no, not sound today, before thou will thrice deny that thou know me.

Peter said to him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thee. Jesus answered him, Will thou lay down thy life for me? Truly, truly, I say to thee, A cock will, no, not sound, until thou will deny me thrice.

For we dare not classify or compare ourselves to some of those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves to themselves, do not understand.

For if some man presumes to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says LORD. I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts. And I do not delight in the blood of bullocks or of lambs or of he-goats. When ye come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand--to trample my courts? Bring no more vain oblations. Incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies--I cannot bear iniquity and the solemn meeting.read more.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They are a trouble to me. I am weary of bearing them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways. As a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. Why have we fasted, [they say], and thou see not? We have afflicted our soul, and thou take no knowledge. Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact from all your laborers. Behold, ye fast for strife and contention, and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Ye do not fast this day so as to make your voice to be heard on high.read more.
Is such the fast that I have chosen, the day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to LORD? Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to a hungry man, and that thou bring the poor who are cast out to thy house, when thou see a naked man, that thou cover him, and that thou not hide thyself from thine own flesh?

Stand in the gate of LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of LORD, all ye of Judah, who enter in at these gates to worship LORD. Thus says LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of LORD, the temple of LORD, the temple of LORD, are these.read more.
For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if ye thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbor, if ye do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers from of old even for evermore. Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs, for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.read more.
But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? says LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. And ye say, How have we despised thy na Ye offer polluted bread upon my altar. And ye say, How have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of LORD is contemptible. And when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, [ye say,] It is no evil! and when ye offer the lame and sick, It is no evil! Present it now to thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee, or will he accept thy person? says LORD of hosts.read more.
[Ye say,] And now, I pray you, entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us; this has been by your means. Will he accept any of your persons? says LORD of hosts. Oh that there was among you who would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says LORD of hosts, nor will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, my name [is] great among the Gentiles. And in every place incense [is] offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name [is] great among the Gentiles, says LORD But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of LORD is polluted. And the fruit of it, even its food, is contemptible. Ye also say, Behold, what a weariness it is! And ye have sniffed at it, says LORD of hosts. And ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame, and the sick. Thus ye bring the offering. Should I accept this at your But cursed be the deceiver, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to LORD a blemished thing. For I am a great King, says LORD of hosts, and my name is feared among the Gentiles.

And when thou pray, thou shall not be as the hypocrites, because they love to pray having stood in the synagogues and in the corners of the thoroughfares, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.

And he said to them, Ye are those who declare yourselves righteous in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. Because what is lofty among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

There is a generation who are pure in their own eyes, and [yet] are not washed from their filthiness.

I have spread out my hands all the day to a {disobedient and (LXX/NT)} rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts, a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens, and burning incense upon bricks, who sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places, who eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels,read more.
who say, Stand by thyself, do not come near to me, for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all the day.

And he also spoke this parable to some of those who were persuaded in themselves that they were righteous, and disdained other men. Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. Having stood by himself, the Pharisee prayed these things: God, I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men, predatory, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.read more.
I fast twice per Sabbath. I tithe all things, as many as I acquire. But the tax collector, having stood from afar, would not even lift his eyes to the sky, but beat upon his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinful man. I say to you, this man went down to his house justified rather than that man. Because every man who lifts himself up will be made lower, and he who makes himself lower will be lifted up.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, both his eternal power and divinity, for them to be without excuse. Because, although knowing God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were they thankful, but became vain in their reasonings and their heart was darkened without understanding. Professing to be wise, they became foolish,read more.
and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image like corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed things, and creeping things.

And the residue of it he makes a god, even his graven image. He falls down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, Deliver me, for thou are my god. They do not know, nor do they consider. For he has shut their eyes, that they cannot see, and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none calls to mind, nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire. Yea, I have also baked bread upon the coals of it. I have roasted flesh and eaten it. And shall I make the residue of itread more.
He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?