Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”

When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”

Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away.

Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.

Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps?

Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor.

Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

“If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor,

“‘Do not steal. “‘Do not lie. “‘Do not deceive one another.

They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”

The Gibeonite Deception

Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—the kings in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)—

Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us?

Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?” Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’”

When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”

“‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. “‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’

“So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand.

“Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’

“‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’

“So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!”

Surely he recognizes deceivers; and when he sees evil, does he not take note?

To him belong strength and insight; both deceived and deceiver are his.

Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him?

Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?

Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return.

They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit.”

“If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit—

How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest.

Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips.

I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites.

Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good.

Psalm 43

Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an unfaithful nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked.

Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me—

You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.

You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor.

You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue!

But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you.

No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.

Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me and teach me your law.

You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their delusions come to nothing.

Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.

What will he do to you, and what more besides, you deceitful tongue?

whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

deliver me; rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

who plots evil with deceit in his heart— he always stirs up conflict.

A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.

An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.

A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful.

A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.

is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.

Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

The rich are wise in their own eyes; one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes,

The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray.

For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction.

Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended on deceit,

This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you!

“Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’

Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills and mountains is a deception; surely in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.

Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ when the sword is at our throats!”

Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful

“From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.

Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!”

But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.

Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.

“Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.

Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning.

You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,” declares the Lord.

Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully. With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors, but in their hearts they set traps for them.

Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.

Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? You are to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Jeremiah’s Complaint

You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.

I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!” All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him.”

How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?

Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have.

“This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not!

The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.

He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.

After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power.

whenever I would heal Israel, the sins of Ephraim are exposed and the crimes of Samaria revealed. They practice deceit, thieves break into houses, bandits rob in the streets;

“Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived and senseless— now calling to Egypt, now turning to Assyria.

Their heart is deceitful, and now they must bear their guilt. The Lord will demolish their altars and destroy their sacred stones.

But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors,

Israel’s Sin

Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, Israel with deceit. And Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful Holy One.

The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’

All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it.

Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath. The town of Akzib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel.

If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for this people!

Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully.

On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold, who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit.

They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.”

The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

“On that day every prophet will be ashamed of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive.