2913 verses about Truth

Ephraim surrounds me with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit. Judah still strays from God, and is unfaithful to the Holy One.

Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Who is prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of Yahweh are right, and the righteous walk in them; But the rebellious stumble in them.

Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Judah, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have rejected Yahweh’s law, and have not kept his statutes, and their lies have led them astray, after which their fathers walked;

Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?

Will a lion roar in the thicket, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?

Surely the Lord Yahweh will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.

“Listen, and testify against the house of Jacob,” says the Lord Yahweh, the God of Armies.

They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the middle of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.

Then they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”

“Therefore night is over you, with no vision, and it is dark to you, that you may not divine; and the sun will go down on the prophets, and the day will be black over them.

The seers shall be disappointed, and the diviners confounded. Yes, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer from God.”

Many nations will go and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the law will go out of Zion, and Yahweh’s word from Jerusalem;

Shall I be pure with dishonest scales, and with a bag of deceitful weights?

You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

Yahweh answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it.

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory, as the waters cover the sea.

But Yahweh is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!”

Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.

Yahweh, within her, is righteous. He will do no wrong. Every morning he brings his justice to light. He doesn’t fail, but the unjust know no shame.

The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they will feed and lie down, and no one will make them afraid.”

Now therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies says: Consider your ways.

Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land; for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to it on the one side; and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to it on the other side.

I will cause it to go out,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and it will enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears falsely by my name; and it will remain in the middle of his house, and will destroy it with its timber and its stones.”

Yes, they made their hearts as hard as flint, lest they might hear the law, and the words which Yahweh of Armies had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from Yahweh of Armies.

Yahweh says: “I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth;’ and the mountain of Yahweh of Armies, ‘The Holy Mountain.’”

and I will bring them, and they will dwell within Jerusalem; and they will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates,

and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate,” says Yahweh.

Yahweh of Armies says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.”

For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd.

It was broken in that day; and thus the poor of the flock that listened to me knew that it was Yahweh’s word.

It will happen that, when anyone still prophesies, then his father and his mother who bore him will tell him, ‘You must die, because you speak lies in Yahweh’s name;’ and his father and his mother who bore him will stab him when he prophesies.

It will happen in that day, that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision, when he prophesies; neither will they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:

“But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a defective thing; for I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”

The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity.

For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Yahweh of Armies.

“Therefore I have also made you contemptible and wicked before all the people, according to the way you have not kept my ways, but have had respect for persons in the law.

Don’t we all have one father? Hasn’t one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers?

Yet you say, ‘Why?’ Because Yahweh has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion, and the wife of your covenant.

“Your words have been stout against me,” says Yahweh. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against you?’

I, Tobit walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I did many alms deeds to my kindred and my nation, who went with me into the land of the Assyrians, to Nineveh.

When I was in my own country, in the land of Israel, while I was yet young, all the tribe of Naphtali my father fell away from the house of Jerusalem, which was chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, that all the tribes should sacrifice there, and the temple of the habitation of the Most High was hallowed and built therein for all ages.

But when it came to my house, it began to cry, and I said to her, Where did this kid come from? Is it stolen? Give it back to the owners; for it is not lawful to eat anything that is stolen.

“O Lord, you are righteous, and all your works and all your ways are mercy and truth, and you judge true and righteous judgement forever.

Now your judgments are many and true; that you should deal with me according to my sins and the sins of my fathers; because we did not keep your commandments, for we didn’t walk in truth before you.

My child, be mindful of the Lord our God all your days, and don’t let your will be set to sin and to transgress his commandments: do righteousness all the days of your life, and don’t follow the ways of unrighteousness.

For if you do what is true, your deeds will prosperously succeed for you, and for all those who do righteousness.

The angel said to him, “I will go with you. I know the way well. I have lodged with our brother Gabael.”

And Tobit said to him, “Brother, of what tribe and of what family are you? Tell me.”

And he said, “I am Azarias, the son of Ananias the great, of your kindred.”

for it belongs to you to take my child. However I will tell you the truth.

And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust, but in truth. Command that I may find mercy and grow old with her.”

It is good to keep close the secret of a king, but to reveal gloriously the works of God. Do good, and evil won’t find you.

Surely I will keep nothing closed from you. I have said, ‘It is good to keep close the secret of a king, but to reveal gloriously the works of God.’

All these days I appeared to you. I didn’t eat or drink, but you all saw a vision.

They confessed the great and wonderful works of God, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared to them.

If you turn to him with your whole heart and with your whole soul, to do truth before him, then will he turn to you, and won’t hide his face from you. See what he will do with you. Give him thanks with your whole mouth. Bless the Lord of righteousness. Exalt the everlasting King. I give him thanks in the land of my captivity, and show his strength and majesty to a nation of sinners. Turn, you sinners, and do righteousness before him. Who can tell if he will accept you and have mercy on you?

And all the nations will turn to fear the Lord God truly, and will bury their idols.

All the nations will bless the Lord, and his people will give thanks to God, and the Lord will exalt his people; and all those who love the Lord God in truth and righteousness will rejoice, showing mercy to our kindred.

So the men came to Holofernes, and declared to him according to these words.

Then Achior, the leader of all the children of Ammon, said to him, “Let my lord now hear a word from the mouth of your servant, and I will tell you the truth concerning these people who dwell in this hill country, near to the place where you dwell. No lie will come out of the mouth of your servant.

They departed from the way of their parents, and worshipped the God of heaven, the God whom they knew. Their parents cast them out from the face of their gods, and they fled into Mesopotamia, and sojourned there many days.

And while they didn’t sin not before their God, they prospered, because God who hates iniquity was with them.

And when the disturbance of the men that were around the council had ceased, Holofernes the chief captain of the army of Asshur said to Achior and to all the children of Moab before all the people of the foreigners,

He answered and declared to them the words of the council of Holofernes, and all the words that he had spoken in the midst of the princes of the children of Asshur, and all the great words that Holofernes had spoken against the house of Israel.

“God be judge between all of you and us, because you have done us great wrong, in that you have not spoken words of peace with the children of Asshur.

We take to witness against you the heaven and the earth, and our God and the Lord of our fathers, who punishes us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers. Do what we have said today!”

And Ozias said to her, “All that you have spoken, you have spoken with a good heart. There is no one who will deny your words.

Yes, the things which you determined stood before you, and said, ‘Behold, we are here; for all your ways are prepared, and your judgement is with foreknowledge. ’

and they took her, and asked her, “Of what people are you? Where are you coming from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am a daughter of the Hebrews. I am fleeing away from their presence, because they are about to be given you to be consumed.

I am coming into the presence of Holofernes the chief captain of your army, to declare words of truth. I will show him a way that he can go and win all the hill country, and there will not be lacking of his men one person, nor one life.”

And Judith said to him, “Receive the words of your servant, and let your handmaid speak in your presence, and I will declare no lie to my lord this night.

For we have heard of your wisdom and the subtle plans of your soul. It has been reported in all the earth that you only are brave in all the kingdom, mighty in knowledge, and wonderful in feats of war.

And now as concerning the matter which Achior spoke in your council, we have heard his words; for the men of Bethulia saved him, and he declared to them all that he had spoken before you.

Therefore, O lord and master, don’t neglect his word; but lay it up in your heart, for it is true; for our race will not be punished, neither will the sword prevail against them, unless they sin against their God.

And I will lead you through the midst of Judea, until you come to Jerusalem. I will set your seat in the midst of it. You will drive them as sheep that have no shepherd, and a dog will not so much as open his mouth before you; for these things were told me according to my foreknowledge, and were declared to me, and I was sent to tell you.”

And as the Lord lives, who preserved me in my way that I went, my countenance deceived him to his destruction, and he did not commit sin with me, to defile and shame me.”

May God turn these things to you for a perpetual praise, to visit you with good things, because you did not spare your life by reason of the affliction of our race, but avenged our fall, walking a straight way before our God.” And all the people said, “Amen! Amen!”

But before you do these things, summon Achior the Ammonite to me, that he may see and know him that despised the house of Israel, and that sent him to us, as it were to death.

Now tell me all the things that you have done in these days.” And Judith declared to him in the midst of the people all the things that she had done, from the day that she went out until the time that she spoke to them.

“The slaves have dealt treacherously! One woman of the Hebrews has brought shame upon the house of king Nebuchadnezzar; for, behold, Holofernes lies upon the ground, and his head is not on him!”

Let the woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This thing pleased the king; and he did so.

But Esther didn’t reveal her family or her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her not to tell.

And the matter was discovered by Mordecai, and he made it known to Esther, and she declared to the king the matter of the conspiracy.

And the king examined the two chamberlains, and hanged them. Then the king gave orders to make a note for a memorial in the royal records of the good offices of Mordecai, as a commendation.

And they in the king’s palace said to Mordecai, “Mordecai, why do you transgress the commands of the king?”

They questioned him daily, but he didn’t listen to them; so they reported to Haman that Mordecai resisted the commands of the king; and Mordecai had shown to them that he was a Jew.

So Esther called for her chamberlain Hathach, who waited upon her; and she sent to learn the truth from Mordecai.

And Hathach reported to Mordecai all the words of Esther.

And he found the records written concerning Mordecai, how he had told the king concerning the two chamberlains of the king, when they were keeping guard, and sought to lay hands on Ahasuerus.

And Haman related the events that had befallen him to Zeresh his wife, and to his friends: and his friends and his wife said to him, If Mordecai be of the race of the Jews, and you have begun to be humbled before him, you will assuredly fall, and you will not be able to withstand him, for the living God is with him.

Write you⌃ also in my name, as it seems good to you, and seal it with my ring: for whatever orders are written at the command of the king, and sealed with my ring, it is not lawful to gainsay them.

And let the copies be posted in conspicuous places throughout the kingdom, and let all the Jews be ready against this day, to fight against their enemies. And the following is the copy of the letter of the orders. [The great king Ahasuerus sends greetings to the rulers of provinces in a hundred and twenty-seven satrapies, from India to Ethiopia, even to those who are faithful to our interests. Many who have been frequently honored by the most abundant kindness of their benefactors have conceived ambitious designs, and not only endeavor to hurt our subjects, but moreover, not being able to bear prosperity, they also endeavor to plot against their own benefactors. And they not only would utterly abolish gratitude from among men, but also, elated by the boastings of men who are strangers to all that is good, they supposed that they shall escape the sin-hating vengeance of the ever-seeing God. And oftentimes evil exhortation has made partakers of the guilt of shedding innocent blood, and has involved in irremediable calamities, many of those who had been appointed to offices of authority, who had been entrusted with the management of their friends’ affairs; while men , by the false sophistry of an evil disposition, have deceived the simple candour of the ruling powers. And it is possible to see this , not so much from more ancient traditionary accounts, as it is immediately in your power to see it by examining what things have been wickedly perpetrated by the baseness of men unworthily holding power. And it is right to take heed with regard to the future, that we may maintain the government in undistributed peace for all men, adopting needful changes, and ever judging those cases which come under our notices, with truly equitable decision. For whereas Haman, a Macedonian, the son of Hammedatha, in reality an alien from the blood of the Persians, and differing widely from our mild course of government, having been hospitable entertained by us, obtained so large a share of our universal kindness, as to be called our father, and to continue the person next to the royal throne, reverenced of all; he however , overcome by the pride of his station , endeavored to deprive us of our dominion, and our life: having by various and subtle artifices demanded for destruction both Mordecai our deliverer and perpetual benefactor, and Esther the blameless consort of our kingdom, with their whole nation. For by these methods he thought, having surprised us in a defenceless state, to transfer the dominion of the Persians to the Macedonians. But we find that the Jews, who have been consigned to destruction by the most abominable of men, are not malefactors, but living according to the justest laws, and being the sons of the living God, the most high and mighty, who maintains the kingdom. to us as well as to our forefathers, in the most excellent order. You⌃ will therefore do well in refusing to obey the letter sent by Haman the son of Hammedatha, because he that has done these things, has been hanged with his whole family at the gates of Susa, Almighty God having swiftly returned to him a worthy recompence, We enjoin you then, having openly published a copy of this letter in every place, to give the Jews permission to use their own lawful customs, and to strengthen them, that on the thirteenth of the twelfth month Adar, on the self-same day, they may defend themselves against those who attack them in a time of affliction. For in the place of the destruction of the chosen race, Almighty God has granted them this time of gladness. Do you⌃ therefore also, among your notable feasts, keep a distinct day with all festivity, that both now and hereafter it may be a day of deliverance to us and who are well disposed toward the Persians, but to those that plotted against us a memorial of destruction. And every city and province collectively, which shall not do accordingly, shall be consumed with vengeance by spear and fire: it shall be made not only inaccessible to men, but most hateful to wild beasts and birds for ever.] And let the copies be posted in conspicuous places throughout the kingdom and let all the Jews be ready against this day, to fight against their enemies.

For wisdom is a spirit that loves man, And she will not hold a blasphemer guiltless for his lips; Because God bears witness of his reins, And is a true overseer of his heart, And a hearer of his tongue:

Therefore no man that utters unrighteous things will be unseen; Neither will Justice, when it convicts, pass him by.

For in the midst of his counsels the ungodly will be searched out; And the sound of his words will come to the Lord To bring to conviction his lawless deeds:

Because there is an ear of jealousy that listens to all things, And the noise of murmurings is not hid.

Beware then of unprofitable murmuring, And refrain your tongue from backbiting; Because no secret utterance will go on its way void, And a mouth that belies destroys a soul.