Cheating

Cheating is gaining an advantage by dishonesty or deceit. False weights and measures, defrauding a neighbor, and wealth gained by deceit are condemned.

False weights and measures

• Proverbs 11:1
  A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.
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• Proverbs 20:23
  Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.Unequal weights are detestable to the LORD, and dishonest scales are no good.
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• Deuteronomy 25:13-16
  ¹³Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light. ¹⁴Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.You shall not have two differing measures in your house, one large and one small. ¹⁵But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. ¹⁶For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God.For everyone who behaves dishonestly in regard to these things is detestable to the LORD your God.
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• Micah 6:10-11
  ¹⁰Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?Can I forget any longer, O house of the wicked, the treasures of wickedness and the short ephah, which is accursed? ¹¹Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?Can I excuse dishonest scales or bags of false weights?
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• Hosea 12:7
  He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.
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Do not defraud

• Leviticus 19:13
  Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.
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• Mark 10:19
  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”
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• 1 Thessalonians 4:6
  That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you.
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• 1 Corinthians 6:8
  Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, even against your own brothers!
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Gain by deceit

• Proverbs 20:17
  Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man, but later his mouth is full of gravel.
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• Proverbs 21:6
  The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit.
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• Proverbs 13:11
  Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.
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• Jeremiah 17:11
  As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”
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Jacob and Laban

• Genesis 27:35-36
  ³⁵And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.But Isaac replied, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” ³⁶And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?So Esau declared, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice. He took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”
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• Genesis 29:25
  And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”
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• Genesis 31:7
  And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.
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Restitution

• Luke 19:8
  And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”
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• Leviticus 6:2-5
  ²If 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;“If someone sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him or stolen, or if he extorts his neighbor ³Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:or finds lost property and lies about it and swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that a man might commit— ⁴Then 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,once he has sinned and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, ⁵Or 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.or anything else about which he has sworn falsely. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value, and pay it to the owner on the day he acknowledges his guilt.
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Faithful in little

• Luke 16:10
  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
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• Proverbs 10:9
  He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.
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See also

• Lying
• Stealing
• Integrity
• Business
• Bribery

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.