A false witness will not go unpunished,

and a liar will not escape. A false witness will not go unpunished, and the liar will perish.

Proverbs 19:5, 9

The Proverbs often reflect words that we have heard before in The Law from the Old Testament. These two verses in chapter 19 seem to be repeating one of the Ten Commandments: “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

“Do not” is a way of discouraging us from this behavior. Proverbs takes it to another level. “The false witness will not go unpunished … The liar will not escape … The liar will indeed perish.”

It’s universally understood that we should not lie. Lies often come back to trap us — to harm us — to embarrass us — to lead to our destruction. It may be better to choose the truthful trail.

Prayer

Dear God, help me to tell the truth from the start in each of my encounters today, so that I don’t get entangled in any new lies. Amen.