Bible Verses About Theft and Thieves: General references

"Do not steal.

"Whoever kidnaps someone must be put to death, regardless of whether he has already sold him or the person is found still in his possession.

"If someone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he is to pay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.

"If a thief caught in the act of breaking in is beaten to death, it is not murder;

unless it happens after sunrise, in which case it is murder. A thief must make restitution; so if he has nothing, he himself is to be sold to make good the loss from the theft.

If what he stole is found alive in his possession, he is to pay double, no matter whether it is an ox, a donkey or a sheep.

"If a person trusts a neighbor to look after a donkey, ox, sheep or any animal, and it dies, is injured or is driven away unseen,

then the neighbor's oath before ADONAI that he has not taken the goods will settle the matter between them -the owner is to accept it without the neighbor's making restitution.

But if it was stolen from the neighbor, he must make restitution to the owner.

If it was torn to pieces by an animal, the neighbor must bring it as evidence, and then he doesn't need to make good the loss.

"If someone borrows something from his neighbor, and it gets injured or dies with the owner not present, he must make restitution.

If the owner was present, he need not make good the loss. If the owner hired it out, the loss is covered by the hiring fee.

"If someone sins and acts perversely against ADONAI by dealing falsely with his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him, by stealing from him, by extorting him,

or by dealing falsely in regard to a lost object he has found, or by swearing to a lie -if a person commits any of these sins,

then, if he sinned and is guilty, he is to restore whatever it was he stole or obtained by extortion, or whatever was deposited with him, or the lost object which he found,

or anything about which he has sworn falsely. He is to restore it in full plus an additional one-fifth; he must return it to the person who owns it, on the day when he presents his guilt offering.

He is to bring as his guilt offering to ADONAI a ram without defect from the flock, or its equivalent according to your appraisal, to the cohen; it is a guilt offering.

Thus the cohen will make atonement for him before ADONAI, and he will be forgiven in regard to whatever it was he did that made him guilty.

"'Do not steal from, defraud or lie to each other.

Do not oppress or rob your neighbor; specifically, you are not to keep back the wages of a hired worker all night until morning.

"'Do not steal.

"When you enter your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat enough grapes to satisfy your appetite; but you are not to put any in your basket.

When you enter your neighbor's field of growing grain, you may pluck ears with your hand; but you are not to put a sickle to your neighbor's grain.

When you see a thief, you join up with him, you throw in your lot with adulterers,

Don't put your trust in extortion, don't put false hopes in robbery; even if wealth increases, don't set your heart on it.