Bible Verses About Manipulating Others
1. Proverbs 12:22 – Deceitful Speech
“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” – Proverbs 12:22
Cross-References
Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”
2. James 3:14 – Bitter Envy and Selfish Ambition
“But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.” – James 3:14
Cross-References
James 3:16 – “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”
Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
1 Corinthians 3:3 – “You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?”
3. Galatians 5:19-21 – Works of the Flesh
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” – Galatians 5:19-21
Cross-References
Romans 13:13-14 – “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
4. Proverbs 26:24-26 – Hatred and Deceit
“Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.” – Proverbs 26:24-26
Cross-References
Psalms 55:21 – “His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.”
Jeremiah 9:8 – “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.”
Psalms 28:3 – “Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.”
5. John 8:44 – The Father of Lies
“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – John 8:44
Cross-References
1 John 3:8 – “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 – “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
6. Ephesians 5:6 – Empty Words
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” – Ephesians 5:6
Cross-References
1 Thessalonians 2:3 – “For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.”
2 Peter 2:3 – “In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”
Titus 1:10 – “For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.”
7. Proverbs 14:5 – A Faithful Witness
“An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.” – Proverbs 14:5
Cross-References
Proverbs 19:5 – “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.”
Proverbs 24:28 – “Do not testify against your neighbor without cause—would you use your lips to mislead?”
Colossians 3:9 – “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.”
8. Jeremiah 17:9 – The Heart’s Deceit
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” – Jeremiah 17:9
Cross-References
Proverbs 4:23 – “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Mark 7:21-22 – “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.”
Psalms 51:10 – “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
9. 2 Corinthians 11:3 – The Serpent’s Cunning
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 11:3
Cross-References
1 Timothy 2:14 – “And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.”
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 – “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”
Genesis 3:13 – “Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.””
10. Isaiah 30:10 – Smooth Deceptions
“They say to the seers, ‘See no more visions!’ and to the prophets, ‘Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.’” – Isaiah 30:10
Cross-References
Jeremiah 5:31 – “The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”
2 Timothy 4:3-4 – “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
Micah 2:11 – “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!”
11. Psalm 52:2 – The Deceitful Tongue
“You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor.” – Psalm 52:2
Cross-References
Psalm 5:9 – “Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.”
Psalm 10:7 – “His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.”
Romans 3:13 – “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.””
12. 2 Peter 2:1 – False Teachers
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.” – 2 Peter 2:1
Cross-References
Matthew 7:15 – “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
Acts 20:29-30 – “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
13. Proverbs 20:17 – Bread of Deceit
“Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.” – Proverbs 20:17
Cross-References
Job 20:12-14 – “Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue, though he cannot bear to let it go and lets it linger in his mouth, yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him.”
Proverbs 9:17 – “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!”
Proverbs 13:11 – “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.”
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14. Matthew 7:21-23 – Prophet of Deceit
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” – Matthew 7:21-23
Cross-References
Luke 13:26-27 – “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’”
Romans 2:13 – “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”
James 1:22 – “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
15. 1 Timothy 4:1 – Abandoning the Faith
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” – 1 Timothy 4:1
Cross-References
2 Thessalonians 2:3 – “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.”
2 Peter 3:17 – “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.”
1 John 2:18-19 – “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.”
16. Isaiah 29:13 – Superficial Worship
“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.’” – Isaiah 29:13
Cross-References
Matthew 15:8-9 – “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.'”
Mark 7:6-7 – “He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’”
Ezekiel 33:31 – “My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.”
17. Micah 6:12 – Deceptive Scales
“Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully.” – Micah 6:12
Cross-References
Hosea 12:7 – “The merchant uses dishonest scales and loves to defraud.”
Proverbs 20:10 – “Differing weights and differing measures—the Lord detests them both.”
Amos 8:5 – “Saying, ‘When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?’—skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales,”
18. 2 Timothy 3:13 – Deceivers and Evil Men
“While evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” – 2 Timothy 3:13
Cross-References
3 John 1:11 – “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”
Titus 3:3 – “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”
Romans 1:29-31 – “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.”
19. Jeremiah 9:6 – Deceitful Societies
“You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,” declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 9:6
Cross-References
Psalms 36:3 – “The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good.”
Isaiah 59:13 – “rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived.”
Romans 3:12 – “All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
20. Psalm 101:7 – Practitioner of Deceit
“No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.” – Psalm 101:7
Cross-References
Psalm 15:1-2 – “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;”
Revelation 21:8 – “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Proverbs 12:19 – “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”
21. Isaiah 59:4 – Truth Lacking
“No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.” – Isaiah 59:4
Cross-References
Micah 7:3 – “Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire—they all conspire together.”
Hosea 10:4 – “They make many promises, take false oaths and make agreements; therefore lawsuits spring up like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.”
Zephaniah 3:1-2 – “Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God.”
22. Acts 13:10 – Deceit and Villainy
“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” – Acts 13:10
Cross-References
2 Corinthians 2:11 – “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
2 Peter 2:18 – “For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.”
23. Romans 16:18 – Serving Their Own Appetite
“For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” – Romans 16:18
Cross-References
2 Timothy 2:16-17 – “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,”
1 Timothy 6:5 – “and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.”
Titus 1:11 – “They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.”
24. 1 Peter 2:1 – Rid Deceit
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” – 1 Peter 2:1
Cross-References
James 1:21 – “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
Romans 13:12 – “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
Colossians 3:8 – “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”
25. Mark 7:22 – Evil Within
“Greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” – Mark 7:22
Cross-References
Matthew 15:19 – “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”
Genesis 6:5 – “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”
26. Colossians 2:8 – Philosophy and Empty Deceit
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” – Colossians 2:8
Cross-References
1 Timothy 6:20-21 – “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. Grace be with you all.”
1 John 4:1 – “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
27. Proverbs 21:6 – Tongue of Ruin
“A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.” – Proverbs 21:6
Cross-References
Proverbs 10:2 – “Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.”
Jeremiah 17:11 – “Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means. When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end they will prove to be fools.”
Psalm 62:10 – “Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.”
28. Ezekiel 13:6 – Lying Visions
“Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, ‘The Lord declares,’ and expect him to fulfill their words.” – Ezekiel 13:6
Cross-References
Jeremiah 14:14 – “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.'”
Ezekiel 21:29 – “The visions that you see are false, and the divinations you give are a lie. The sword will be laid on the necks of the wicked, who are to be slain, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax.”
1 Kings 22:23 – “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.”
29. Proverbs 11:18 – The Deceptive Wage
“A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.” – Proverbs 11:18
Cross-References
Galatians 6:7-8 – “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
James 3:18 – “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
Romans 6:21 – “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!”
30. 2 John 1:7 – The Deceiver
“I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.” – 2 John 1:7
Cross-References
1 John 2:22 – “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.”
1 John 4:3 – “but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”
2 Thessalonians 2:7 – “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.”
31. Jeremiah 23:32 – False Dreams
“Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 23:32
Cross-References
Ezekiel 13:10 – “‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,'”
Zechariah 10:2 – “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.”
Micah 3:5 – “This is what the Lord says: ‘As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim “peace” if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them.'”
32. Genesis 3:4 – The First Deception
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. – Genesis 3:4
Cross-References
Revelation 12:9 – “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”
Romans 16:20 – “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
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