'Lies' in the Bible

“If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry (marriage price) for her to be his wife.

“Whoever lies with an animal must be put to death.

And whoever lies down in the house [to rest] shall wash his clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes.

Every bed on which the one who has the discharge lies becomes unclean, and everything on which he sits becomes unclean.

Everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean; and everything on which she sits shall be unclean.

If a man actually lies with her so that her menstrual impurity is on him, he shall be unclean for seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.

Every bed on which she lies during the time of her discharge shall be to her like the bed of her menstrual impurity, and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, like the uncleanness of her monthly period.

and for the woman who is ill because of her monthly period, and for the one who has a discharge, whether man or woman, or for a man who lies with a woman who is [ceremonially] unclean.

‘Now if a man has intimate relations with a woman who is a slave acquired for [marriage to] another man, but who has not been redeemed nor given her freedom, there shall be punishment [after an investigation]; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free;

The man who lies [intimately] with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them.

If a man lies [intimately] with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall most certainly be put to death; they have committed incest; their blood is on them.

If a man lies [intimately] with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed a detestable (perverse, unnatural) act; they shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them.

If a man has intimate relations with an animal, he shall most certainly be put to death; you shall kill the animal also.

If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall most certainly be put to death; their blood is on them.

nor shall he approach any dead person, nor defile himself [by doing so, even] for his father or for his mother;

‘Then the land [of Israel] will enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths.

As long as it lies desolate, it will have rest, the rest it did not have on your Sabbaths, while you were living on it.

But the land will be abandoned by them and will enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; and they will accept the punishment for their wickedness and make amends because they rejected My ordinances and their soul rejected My statutes.

and a man is intimate with her, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and it is kept secret, although she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act,

“But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait and ambush for him and attacks him and strikes him down so that he dies, and the assailant escapes to one of these cities,

“If a young woman who is a virgin is engaged (legally betrothed) to a man, and another man finds her in the city and is intimate with her,

“However, if the man finds the girl who is engaged (legally betrothed) in the [open] field, and seizes her and is intimate with her [by force], then only the man who lies with her shall be put to death.

“If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and is intimate with her and they are discovered,

‘Cursed is he who is intimate with his father’s [former] wife, because he has violated what belongs to his father.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

‘Cursed is he who is intimate with any animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

‘Cursed is he who is intimate with his [half] sister, whether his father’s or his mother’s daughter.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

‘Cursed is he who is intimate with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

Then the border went up by the Valley of Ben-hinnom (son of Hinnom) at the southern slope of the Jebusite [city] (that is, Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.

Then the border continued southward toward Luz, to the slope of Luz (that is, Bethel); then the border went down to Ataroth-addar, by the hill that lies south of lower Beth-horon.

The border changed course [from there] and turned around on the western side southward, from the hill that lies to the south opposite Beth-horon; it ended at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of [the tribe of] the sons of Judah. This formed the western side [of Benjamin’s territory].

The sons of [Jethro] the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms (Jericho) with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is in the Negev (South country) near Arad; and they went and lived with the people.

So the [five] lords (governors) of the Philistines came to her and said to her, “Persuade him, and see where his great strength lies and [find out] how we may overpower him so that we may bind him to subdue him. And each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”

So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies and with what you may be bound and subdued.”

Then Delilah said to Samson, “See now, you have mocked me and told me lies; now please tell me [truthfully] how you may be bound.”

Then Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies; tell me [truthfully] with what you may be bound.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven braids of my hair with the web [and fasten it with a pin, then I will become weak and be like any other man.”

Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies.”

When he lies down, notice the place where he is lying, and go and uncover his feet and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.”

“How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.

and I said to the king, “Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?”

Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation that we are in—how Jerusalem is desolate and lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, and let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”

“But you smear me with lies [you defame my character most untruthfully];You are all worthless physicians and have no remedy to offer.

So man lies down and does not rise [again].Until the heavens are no longer,The dead will not awake nor be raised from their sleep.

‘My root is spread out and open to the waters,And the dew lies all night upon my branch.

“He lies down under the lotus plants,In the hidden shelter of the reeds in the marsh.

O sons of men, how long will my honor and glory be [turned into] shame?How long will you [my enemies] love worthless (vain, futile) things and seek deception and lies? Selah.

You destroy those who tell lies;The Lord detests and rejects the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

Behold, the [wicked and irreverent] man is pregnant with sin,And he conceives mischief and gives birth to lies.

He lurks in a hiding place like a lion in his lair;He lies in wait to catch the afflicted;He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.

The wicked are estranged from the womb;These go astray from birth, speaking lies [even twisted partial truths].

Look how they belch out [insults] with their mouths;Swords [of sarcasm, ridicule, slander, and lies] are in their lips,For they say, “Who hears us?”

They consult only to throw him down from his high position [to dishonor him];They delight in lies.They bless with [the words of] their mouths,But inwardly they curse. Selah.

But the king will rejoice in God;Everyone who swears by Him [honoring the true God, acknowledging His authority and majesty] will glory,For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

Your wrath has rested heavily upon me,And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah.

He who practices deceit will not dwell in my house;He who tells lies and half-truths will not continue [to remain] in my presence.

A false witness who breathes out lies [even half-truths],And one who spreads discord (rumors) among brothers.

A truthful witness saves lives,But he who speaks lies is treacherous.

A false witness will not go unpunished,And he who breathes out lies will not escape.

A false witness will not go unpunished,And he who breathes lies will perish.

She lurks and lies in wait like a robber [who waits for prey],And she increases the faithless among men.

And you will be [as unsteady] as one who lies down in the middle of the sea,And [as vulnerable to disaster] as one who lies down on the top of a ship’s mast, saying,

Keep deception and lies far from me;Give me neither poverty nor riches;Feed me with the food that is my portion,

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men:

For there is a proper time and [appropriate] procedure for every delight,Though mankind’s misery and trouble lies heavily upon him [who rebels against the king].

“My beloved is to me like a pouch of myrrhWhich lies all night between my breasts.

Your land lies desolate [because of your disobedience],Your cities are burned with fire,Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your very presence;It is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

The elderly and honorable man, he is the head;And the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

For the fortified city is isolated,A settlement deserted and abandoned like the desert;There the calf will graze,And there it will lie down and feed on its branches.

Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,And with Sheol (the place of the dead) we have made an agreement,When the overwhelming scourge passes by, it will not reach us,For we have made lies our refuge and we have concealed ourselves in deception.”

“I will make justice the measuring lineAnd righteousness the mason’s level;Then hail will sweep away the refuge of liesAnd waters will flood over the secret [hiding] place.

For your hands are defiled with bloodAnd your fingers with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing];Your lips have spoken lies,Your tongue mutters wickedness.

No one sues righteously [but for the sake of doing injury to others—to take some undue advantage], and no one pleads [his case] in truth; [but rather]They trust in empty arguments and speak lies;They conceive trouble and bring forth injustice.

“They bend their tongue like their bow;[Their] lies and not truth prevail and grow strong in the land;For they proceed from evil to evil,And they do not know and understand and acknowledge Me,” says the Lord.

“Everyone deceives and mocks his neighborAnd does not speak the truth.They have taught their tongue to speak lies;They exhaust themselves with sin and cruelty.

Then the Lord said to me, “The [counterfeit] prophets are prophesying lies in My Name. I have neither sent them nor authorized them nor spoken to them. They are prophesying to you made-up visions [pretending to call forth responses from handmade gods], a worthless divination and the deceit of their own mind.

[Then said Jeremiah] “O Lord, my Strength and my Stronghold,And my Refuge in the day of distress and need,The nations will come to YouFrom the ends of the earth and say,‘Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies and illusion,[Worthless] things in which there is no benefit!’

“Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem:They commit adultery and walk in lies;They encourage and strengthen the hands of evildoers,So that no one has turned back from his wickedness.All of them have become like Sodom to Me,And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My Name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed [visions when on my bed at night].’

Hear this, I am against those who have prophesied false and made-up dreams,” says the Lord, “and have told them and have made My people err and go astray by their lies and by their reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them nor do they benefit and enhance [the life of] these people in the slightest way,” says the Lord.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in My Name, ‘Behold, I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will slaughter them before your eyes [yes, all the false prophets in Babylon whom you follow shall die]!

As for Mount Zion, which lies desolate,Foxes and the jackals prowl over it.

Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “Because you have spoken empty and delusive words and have seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you,” says the Lord God.

You have profaned Me among My people [in payment] for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die and giving [a guarantee of] life to those who should not live, because of your lies to My people who pay attention to lies.”’”

Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way and preserve his life,

while they (Ammonite prophets) see false visions [of peace] for you, while they divine lies [of escape] for you—to place you [of Ammon] on the headless bodies of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, whose time of the final punishment is here.

Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God’—when the Lord has not spoken.

Speak and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God,“Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,The great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers,[Boastfully] declaring, ‘My Nile is my own, and I have made it for myself.’

Exclusive of the property of the Levites and of the property of the city, which are in the middle of that which belongs to the prince, everything between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin shall be for the prince.

And as for both of these kings, their hearts will be set on doing evil; they will speak lies over the same table, but it will not succeed, for the end is yet to come at the appointed time.

They make the king glad with their wickedness,And the princes with their lies.

Woe (judgment is coming) to them, for they have wandered away from Me!Devastation is theirs, because they have rebelled and trespassed against Me!I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.

You have plowed and planted wickedness, you have reaped the [willful] injustice [of oppressors],You have eaten the fruit of lies.Because you have trusted in your own way and your chariots, and in your many warriors,

Ephraim surrounds Me with liesAnd the house of Israel with deceit;Judah is also unruly against God,Even against the faithful Holy One.

Ephraim feeds on the [emptiness of the] windAnd [continually] pursues the [parching] east wind [which brings destruction];Every day he multiplies lies and violence.Further, he makes a covenant with AssyriaAnd (olive) oil is carried to Egypt [to seek alliances].

Thus says the Lord,“For three transgressions of Judah and for four (multiplied delinquencies)I will not reverse its punishment or revoke My word concerning it,Because they have rejected the law of the Lord [the sum of God’s instruction to His people]And have not kept His commandments;But their lies [and their idols], after which their fathers walked,Caused them to go astray.

She has fallen, she will not rise again—The virgin Israel.She lies neglected on her land;There is no one to raise her up.

“For the rich men of the city are full of violence [of every kind];Her inhabitants speak liesAnd their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

Do not trust in a neighbor [because of the moral corruption in the land];Do not have confidence in a friend.Guard the doors of your mouthFrom her who lies in your bosom.

Woe (judgment is coming) to the city of blood [guilty of murder and mayhem], completely full of lies and pillage;Her prey never departs [alive].

“What profit is the carved image when its maker has formed it?It is only a cast image, and a teacher of lies.For its maker trusts in his own creation [as his god]When he makes speechless idols.

“The remnant of Israel will do no wrongNor speak lies,Nor will a deceitful tongueBe found in their mouths;For they will eat and lie downWith no one to make them tremble and feel afraid.”