Lying in the United States of America is an epidemic that has spread throughout our entire nation. Over seventy percent of Americans lie on a daily basis and see nothing wrong with it. Our entire political system is full of liars along with the media and even attorneys who are supposed to represent the law. Our schools teach lies because of their liberal agendas and purposely deceive Americans in political campaigns to further their causes. We as a nation are bringing about our own destruction, because of our lies!!! Do not be deceived we will reap what we sow. If you do not believe me then you need to do some research on world history and you will see that I am right. Just as the Word of God says in Revelation 21:8 “But cowards who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars – their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.” The second death spoken of here is when your soul is thrown into the lake of fire. Not your physical death, but when you are judged for being a liar on judgment day, if you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. And if you are a child of God then you will hate lies Proverbs 13:5. According to Scripture the Devil is the father of lies a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar. Now I want to ask you a question, do you lie? And if so, who’s character are you portraying when you lie, the Devil’s or Jesus’? If you are a child of God and you have had a bad habit of lying, then you need to repent of your lying and ask God to take away the habit of lying from you. Any habit takes a while to break, so do not get disappointed with yourself if you fail consistently for a while. Just recognize it confess it to God and slow down what comes out of your mouth. There is an acronym that my pastor uses all of the time, it is, T.H.I.N.K. , is it True, is it Helpful, is it Inspiring, is it Necessary, is it Kind. We need to think before we speak!!!

Now I want to point out some of the things that the LORD has showed me through this study. That liars will not escape, they will be destroyed, that lies are soon exposed, that liars pay attention to destructive words. That it is even less fitting for a ruler to be telling lies!!! That it is better to be poor than dishonest. You will see that the LORD hates a lying tongue. You will also see that the LORD sends disaster to the wicked through lying spirits. I guess they are reaping what they sowed. When you read that section of Scripture you will notice that this is all happening in the spiritual world that we cannot see, but does exist.

There are a few different stories throughout this study that will point out quite a bit of interesting observations, but the one thing that is conclusive, is that , the LORD hates lying and He will judge those who continue to do this!!! Get the point, quit lying!!! I hope that the LORD blesses you through this study and that He cleanses your heart of any of the lies of the Devil that continue to keep you in bondage. May God Bless You and keep you from lying, I pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Liar: n. a person who tells lies.

Psalm 140:11

Don’t let liars prosper here in our land. Cause disaster to fall with great force on the violent.

Proverbs 19:5

A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.

Proverbs 19:9

A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed.

Proverbs 12:17

An honest witness tells the truth; a false witness tells lies.

Proverbs 12:19

Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed.

Proverbs 13:5

Those who are godly hate lies; the wicked come to shame and disgrace.

Proverbs 14:5

A truthful witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies.

Proverbs 17:4

Wrongdoers listen to wicked talk; liars pay attention to destructive words.

Proverbs 17:7

Eloquent speech is not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler.

Proverbs 19:22

Loyalty makes a person attractive. And it is better to be poor than dishonest.

Proverbs 30:5-6

Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection. Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you, and you will be found a liar.

John 8:44

For you are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:54-56

Jesus answered, “If I am merely boasting about myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who says these glorious things about me. You say, ‘He is our God,’ but you do not even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But it is true – I know him and obey him. Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”

Acts 5:1-11

There was also a man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, but he claimed it was the full amount. His wife had agreed to this deception.

Then Peter said, “Ananais, why has Satan filled your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God.”

As soon as Ananais heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Then some young men wrapped him in a sheet and took him out and buried him.

About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”

“Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”

And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of doing a thing like this – conspiring together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Just outside the door are the young men who buried your husband, and they will carry you out, too.”

Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and all others who heard what had happened.

Romans 3:3-4

True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they broke their promises does that mean God will break his promises? Of course not! Though everyone else in the world is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say, “He will be proved right in what he says, and he will win his case in court.

1 John 1:8-10

If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

1 John 2:3-6

And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his commandments. If someone says, “I belong to God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. But those who obey God’s word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.

1 John 4:20-21

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen? And God himself has commanded that we must love not only him but our Christian brothers and sisters, too.

1 John 5:6-12

And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross – not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit also gives us the testimony that this is true. So we have these three witnesses – the Spirit, the water, and the blood – and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know that this is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.

And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life.

Psalm 116:11

In my anxiety I cried out to you, “These people are all liars!”

Isaiah 44:24-28

The LORD, your Redeemer and Creator, says: “I am the LORD, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. By myself I made the earth and everything in it. I am the one who exposes the false prophets as liars by causing events to happen that are contrary to their predictions. I cause wise people to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools. But I carry out the predictions of my prophets! When they say Jerusalem will be saved and the towns of Judah will be lived in once again, it will be done! When I speak to the rivers and say, ‘Be dry!’ they will be dry. When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command that Jerusalem be rebuilt and that the Temple be restored.”

1 Timothy 1:3-11

When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine. Don’t let people waste time in endless speculation over myths and spiritual pedigrees. For these things only cause arguments; they don’t help people live a life of faith in God. The purpose of my instruction is that all the Christians there would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and sincere faith.

But some teachers have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time arguing and talking foolishness. They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they seem so confident. We know these laws are good when they are used as God intended. But they were not made for people who do what is right. They are for people who are disobedient and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who murder their father or mother or other people. These laws are for people who are sexually immoral, for homosexuals and slave traders, for liars and oath breakers, and for those who do anything else that contradicts the right teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

Titus 1:10-16

For there are many who rebel against right teaching; they engage in useless talk and deceive people. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced. By their wrong teaching, they have already turned whole families away from the truth. Such teachers only want your money. One of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars; they are cruel animals and lazy gluttons.” This is true. So rebuke them as sternly as necessary to make them strong in the faith. They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned their backs on the truth.

Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are defiled. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are despicable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.

Revelation 2:1-7

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:

“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don’t, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. But there is this about you that is good: You hate the deeds of the immoral Nicolaitans, just as I do.

“Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God.

Revelation 21:5-8

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making all things new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega – the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge! All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But cowards who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars – their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

1 Kings 13:1-34

At the LORD’s command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, and he arrived there just as Jeroboam was approaching the altar to offer a sacrifice. Then at the LORD’s command, he shouted, “O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you.” That same day the man of God gave a sign to prove his message, and he said, “The LORD has promised to give this sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground.”

King Jeroboam was very angry with the man of God for speaking against the altar. So he pointed at the man and shouted, “Seize that man!” But instantly the king’s hand became paralyzed in that position, and he couldn’t pull it back. At the same time a wide crack appeared in the altar, and the ashes poured out, just as the man of God had predicted in his message from the LORD.

The king cried out to the man of God, “Please ask the LORD your God to restore my hand again!” So the man of God prayed to the LORD, and the king’s hand became normal again.

Then the king said to the man of God, “Come to the palace with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift.”

But the man of God said to the king, “Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not go with you. I would not eat any food or drink any water in this place. For the LORD gave me this command: ‘You must not eat any food or drink any water while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’” So he left Bethel and went home another way.

As it happened, there was an old prophet living in Bethel, and his sons came home and told him what the man of God had done in Bethel that day. They also told him what he had said to the king. The old prophet asked them, “Which way did he go?” So they told their father which road the man of God had taken. “Quick, saddle the donkey,” the old man said. And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he rode after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree.

The old prophet asked him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”

“Yes,” he replied, “I am.”

Then he said to the man of God, “Come home with me and eat some food.”

“No, I cannot,” he replied. “I am not allowed to eat any food or drink any water here in this place. For the LORD gave me this command: ‘You must not eat any food or drink any water while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’”

But the old prophet answered, “I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this message from the LORD: ‘Bring him home with you, and give him food to eat and water to drink.’” But the old man was lying to him. So they went back together, and the man of God ate some food and drank some water at the prophet’s home.

Then while they were sitting at the table, a message from the LORD came to the old prophet. He cried out to the man of God from Judah, “This is what the LORD says: You have defiled the LORD’s message and have disobeyed the command the LORD your God gave you. You came back to this place and ate food and drank water where he told you not to eat or drink. Because of this, your body will not be buried in the grave of your ancestors.”

Now after the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet saddled his own donkey for him, and the man of God started off again. But as he was traveling along, a lion came out and killed him. His body lay there on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. People came by and saw the body lying in the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported it in Bethel, where the old prophet lived.

When the old prophet heard the report, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the LORD’s command. The LORD has fulfilled his word by causing the lion to attack and kill him.”

Then the prophet said to his sons, “Saddle a donkey for me.” So they saddled a donkey, and he went out and found the body lying in the road. The donkey and lion were still standing there beside it, for the lion had not eaten the body nor attacked the donkey. So the prophet laid the body of the man of God on the donkey and took it back to the city to mourn over him and bury him. He laid the body in his own grave, crying out in grief, “Oh, my brother!”

Afterward the prophet said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones. For the message the LORD told him to proclaim against the altar in Bethel and against the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria will surely come true.”

But even after this, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil ways. He continued to choose priests from the rank and file of the people. Anyone who wanted to could become a priest for the pagan shrines. This became a great sin and resulted in the destruction of Jeroboam’s kingdom and the death of all his family.

Psalms 78:35-41

Then they remembered that God was their rock, that their redeemer was the Most High. But they followed him only with their words; they lied to him with their tongues. Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not keep his covenant. Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins and didn’t destroy them all. Many a time he held back his anger and did not unleash his fury! For he remembered that they were merely mortal, gone in a moment like a breath of wind, never to return. Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved his heart in the wilderness. Again and again they tested God’s patience and frustrated the Holy One of Israel.

1 Kings 22:10-38

King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying there in front of them. One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what the LORD says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”

All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the LORD will give you victory!”

Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”

But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will say only what the LORD tells me to say.”

When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead or not?”

And Micaiah replied, “Go right ahead! The LORD will give the king a glorious victory!”

But the king replied sharply, “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth when you speak for the LORD?”

So Micaiah told him, “In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, “Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.’”

“Didn’t I tell you?” the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat. “He does it every time. He never prophesies anything but bad news for me.”

Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left. And the LORD said, ‘Who can entice Ahab to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so that he can be killed there?’ There were many suggestions, until finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, ‘I can do it!’

“ ‘How will you do this?’ the LORD asked.

“And the spirit replied, ‘I will go out and inspire all Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’

“ ‘You will succeed,’ said the LORD, ‘Go ahead and do it.’

“So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For the LORD has determined disaster for you.”

Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. “When did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?” he demanded.

And Micaiah replied, “You will find out soon enough when you find yourself hiding in some secret room!”

King Ahab of Israel then ordered, “Arrest Micaiah and take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash. Give them this order from the king: ‘Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!’”

But Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me!” Then he added to those standing around, “Take note of what I have said.”

So the King of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead. Now King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes.” So Ahab disguised himself, and they went into battle.

Now the king of Aram had issued these orders to his thirty-two charioteers: “Attack only the king of Israel!” So when the Aramean charioteers saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the kign of Israel!” they shouted. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, the charioteers realized he was not the king of Israel, and they stopped chasing him.

An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops, and the arrow hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of his chariot. “I have been badly wounded!” The battle raged all that day, and Ahab was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of his chariot, and as evening arrived he died. Just as the sun was setting, the cry ran through his troops: “It’s all over – return home!”

So the king died, and his body was taken to Samaria and buried there. Then his chariot was washed beside the pool of Samaria, where the prostitutes bathed, and dogs came and licked the king’s blood, just as the LORD had promised.

2 Chronicles 18:9-34

All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious. The LORD will give you a glorious victory!”

Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”

But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will say only what my God tells me to say.”

When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead or not?”

And Micaiah replied, “Go right ahead! It will be a glorious victory!”

But the king replied sharply, “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth when you speak for the LORD?”

So Micaiah told him, “In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, “Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.”

“Didn’t I tell you?” the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat. “He does it every time. He never prophesies anything but bad news for me.”

Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven on his right and on his left. And the LORD said, ‘Who can entice King Ahab of Israel to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so that he can be killed there?’ There were many suggestions, until finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, ‘I can do it!’

“How will you do this?” the LORD asked.

“And the spirit replied, ‘I will go out and inspire all Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’

“You will succeed,’ said the LORD, ‘Go ahead and do it.’

“So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For the LORD has determined disaster for you.”

Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. “When did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?” he demanded.

And Micaiah replied, “You will find out soon enough, when you find yourself hiding in some secret room!”

But Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me!” Then he added to those standing around, “Take note of what I have said.”

So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead. Now King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes.” So Ahab disguised himself, and they went into battle.

Now the king or Aram had issued these orders to his charioteers: “Attack only the king of Israel!” So when the Aramean charioteers saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the King of Israel!” they shouted. But Jehoshaphat cried out to the LORD to save him, and God helped him by turning the attack away from him. As soon as the charioteers realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.

An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops, and the arrow hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of his chariot. “I have been badly wounded!” The battle raged all that day, and Ahab propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then, just as the sun was setting, he died.

Psalm 31:18

May their lying lips be silenced- those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.

Psalm 52

You call yourself a hero, do you?

Why boast about this crime of yours, you who have disgraced God’s people?

All day long you plot destruction.

Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you’re an expert at telling lies.

You love evil more than good and lies more than truth.

You love to say things that harm others, you liar!

But God will strike you down once and for all.

He will pull you from your home and drag you from the land of the living.

The righteous will see it and be amazed.

They will laugh and say, “Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God.

They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”

But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.

I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever.

I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done.

I will wait for your mercies in the presence of your people.

Psalm 59

Rescue me from my enemies, O God.

Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.

Rescue me from these criminals;

save me from these murderers.

They have set an ambush for me.

Fierce enemies are out there waiting,

though I have done them no wrong, O LORD.

Despite my innocence, they prepare to kill me.

Rise up and help me! Look on my plight!

O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel,

rise up to punish hostile nations.

Show no mercy to wicked traitors.

They come at night,

snarling like vicious dogs

as they prowl the streets.

Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths,

the piercing swords that fly from their lips.

“Who can hurt us?” they sneer.

But LORD, you laugh at them.

You scoff at all the hostile nations.

You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,

for you, O God, are my place of safety.

In his unfailing love, my God will come and help me.

He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.

Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons;

stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees,

O Lord our shield.

Because of the sinful things they say,

because of the evil that is on their lips,

let them be captured by their pride,

their curses, and their lies.

Destroy them in your anger!

Wipe them out completely!

Then the whole world will know

that God reigns in Israel.

My enemies come out at night,

snarling like vicious dogs

as they prowl the streets.

They scavenge for food

but go to sleep unsatisfied.

But as for me, I will sing about your power.

I will shout with joy each morning

because of your unfailing love.

For you have been my refuge,

a place of safety in the day of distress.

O my Strength, to you I sing praises,

for you, O God, are my refuge,

the God who shows me unfailing love.

Psalm 109

O God, whom I praise,

don’t stand silent and aloof

while the wicked slander me

and tell lies about me.

They are all around me with their hateful words,

and they fight against me for no reason.

I love them, but they try to destroy me – even as I am praying for them!

They return evil for good,

and hatred for my love.

Arrange for an evil person to turn on him.

Send an accuser to bring him to trial.

When his case is called for judgment,

let him be pronounced guilty.

Count his prayers as sins.

Let his years be few;

let his position be given to someone else.

May his children become fatherless,

and may his wife become a widow.

May his children wander as beggars;

may they be evicted from their ruined homes.

May creditors seize his entire estate,

and strangers take all he has earned.

Let no one be kind to him;

let no one pity his fatherless children.

May all his offspring die.

May his family name be blotted out in a single generation.

May the LORD never forget the sins of his ancestors;

may his mother’s sins never be erased

from the record.

May these sins always remain before the LORD,

but may his name be cut off from human memory;

For he refused all kindness to others;

he persecuted the poor and needy,

and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.

He loved to curse others;

now you curse him.

He never blessed others;

now don’t you bless him.

Cursing is as much a part of him as his clothing,

or as the water he drinks,

or the rich food he eats.

Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing;

may they be tied around him like a belt.

May those curses become the LORD’s punishment for my accusers

who are plotting against my life.

But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD,

for the sake of your own reputation!

Rescue me because you are so faithful and good.

For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is full of pain.

I am fading like a shadow at dusk;

I am falling like a grasshopper that is brushed aside.

My knees are weak from fasting,

and I am skin and bones.

I am an object of mockery to people everywhere;

when they see me, they shake their heads.

Help me, O LORD my God!

Save me because of your unfailing love.

Let them see that this is your doing,

that you yourself have done it, LORD.

Then let them curse me if they like,

but you will bless me!

When they attack me, they will be disgraced!

But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!

Make their humiliation obvious to all;

clothe my accusers with disgrace.

But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD,

praising him to everyone.

For he stands beside the needy,

ready to save them from those who condemn them.

Psalm 119:27-39

Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,

and I will meditate on your wonderful miracles.

I weep with grief;

encourage me by your word.

Keep me from lying to myself;

give me the privilege of knowing your law.

I have chosen to be faithful;

I have determined to live by your laws.

I cling to your decrees.

LORD, don’t let me be put to shame!

If you will help me,

I will run to follow your commands.

Teach me, O LORD,

to follow every one of your principles.

Give me understanding and I will obey your law;

I will put it into practice with all my heart,

Make me walk along the path of your commands,

for that is where my happiness is found.

Give me an eagerness for your decrees;

do not inflict me with love for money!

Turn my eyes from worthless things,

and give me life through your word.

Reassure me of your promise,

which is for those who honor you.

Help me abandon my shameful ways;

your laws are all I want in life.

Psalm 120

I took my troubles to the LORD;

I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.

Rescue me, O LORD, from liars and from all deceitful people.

O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?

How will he increase your punishment?

You will be pierced with sharp arrows

and burned with glowing coals.

How I suffer among these scoundrels of Meshech!

It pains me to live with these people from Kedar!

I am tired of living here

among people who hate peace.

As for me, I am for peace;

but when I speak, they are for war!

Proverbs 6:16-19

There are six things the LORD hates – no seven things he detests:

haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that kill the innocent,

a heart that plots evil,

feet that race to do wrong,

a false witness who pours out lies,

a person who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 10:18

To hide hatred is to be a liar; to slander is to be a fool.

Proverbs 12:22

The LORD hates those who don’t keep their word, but he delights in those who do.

Proverbs 21:6

Wealth created by lying is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap.

Proverbs 26:28

A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattery causes ruin.

Isaiah 30:8-17

Now go and write down these words concerning Egypt. They will then stand until the end of time as a witness to Israel’s unbelief. For these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay any attention to the LORD’s instructions.

They tell the prophets, “Shut up!” We don’t want any more of your reports. “They say, “Don’t tell us the truth. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. Forget all this gloom. We have heard more than enough about your ‘Holy One of Israel.’ We are tired of listening to what he has to say.”

This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, calamity will come upon you suddenly. It will be like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down. You will be smashed like a piece of pottery – shattered so completely that there won’t be a piece left that is big enough to carry coals from a fireplace or a little water from the well.”

The Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says, “Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt. They will give us swift horses for riding into battle. ‘But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you! One of them will make all of you flee. You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a distant mountaintop.”

Isaiah 32:1-8

Look , a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. He will shelter Israel from the storm and the wind. He will refresh her as a river in the desert and as the cool shadow of a large rock in a hot and weary land. Then everyone who can see will be looking for God, and those who can hear will listen to his voice. Even the hotheads among them will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer in uncertainty will speak out plainly.

In that day ungodly fools will not be heroes. Wealthy cheaters will not be respected as outstanding citizens. Everyone will recognize ungodly fools for what they are. They spread lies and give no water to the thirsty. The smooth tricks of evil people will be exposed, including all the lies they use to oppress the poor in the courts. But good people will be generous to others and will be blessed for all they do.

Isaiah 59

Listen! The LORD is not too weak to save you, and he is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call. But there is a problem – your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. Your hands are filthy with sin. Your mouth is full of lies, and your lips are tainted with corruption.

No one cares about being fair and honest. Their lawsuits are based on lies. They spend their time plotting evil deeds and then doing them. They spend their time and energy spinning evil plans that end up in deadly actions. They cheat and shortchange everyone. Nothing they do is productive; all their activity is filled with sin. Violence is their trademark. Their feet run to do evil, and they rush to commit murder. They think only about sinning. Wherever they go, misery and destruction follow them. They do not know what true peace is or what it means to be just and good. They continually do wrong, and those who follow them cannot experience a moment’s peace.

It is because of all this evil that deliverance is far from us. That is why God doesn’t punish those who injure us. No wonder we are in darkness when we expected light. No wonder we are walking in gloom. No wonder we grope like blind people and stumble along. Even at brightest noontime, we fall down as though it were dark. No wonder we are like corpses when compared to vigorous young men! We growl like hungry bears; we moan like mournful doves. We look for justice, but it is nowhere to be found. We look to be rescued, but it is far away from us. For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are. We know that we have rebelled against the LORD. We have turned our backs on God. We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies. Our courts oppose people who are righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth falls dead in the streets, and fairness has been outlawed. Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who tries to live a godly life is soon attacked.

The LORD looked and was displeased to find that there was no justice. He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his mighty power and justice. He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with the robes of vengeance and godly fury. He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds. His fury will fall on his foes in distant lands. Then at last they will respect and glorify the name of the LORD throughout the world. For he will come like a flood tide driven by the breath of the LORD.

“The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins. And this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the LORD, have spoken!