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The words steal, stole and theft appear in about 50 verses of the World English Bible, 30 of them using steal. The eighth commandment is the shortest of the ten: 'You shall not steal' (Exodus 20:15). The Law adds restitution: a thief repays double, four or five times what he took (Exodus 22:1-4, 22:7), and Zacchaeus promises four times (Luke 19:8). Proverbs says a hungry thief is understood but must still repay sevenfold (Proverbs 6:30-31) and warns that stealing from a parent is destroying (Proverbs 28:24). Paul tells the thief to steal no more but to work and give (Ephesians 4:28), and Malachi accuses Israel of robbing God in tithes (Malachi 3:8-10). The verses below cover the command, the penalty and the repentance.
Counts from this page's curated collection (19 books of Scripture).
“You shall not steal.
"Thou shalt not steal."
“‘You shall not steal. “‘You shall not lie. “‘You shall not deceive one another.
"Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another."
“You shall not steal.
"Neither shalt thou steal."
“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it, or sells it; he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If the thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him. If the sun has risen on him, guilt of bloodshed shall be for him; he shall make restitution. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen property is found in his hand alive, whether it is ox, donkey, or sheep, he shall pay double.
"If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double."
“If a man delivers to his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief is found, he shall pay double.
"If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief be found, let him pay double."
“Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
"And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death."
"If a man is found stealing any of his brothers of the children of Israel, and he deals with him as a slave, or sells him; then that thief shall die. So you shall remove the evil from among you."
"If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you."
"Men don’t despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry: but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house."
"Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house."
"Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."
"Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."
"Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, “It’s not wrong.” He is a partner with a destroyer."
"Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer."
"Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul. He takes an oath, but dares not testify."
"Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not."
"Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death."
"Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death."
"Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need."
"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."
"Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.” Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham."
"And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham."
"For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”"
"For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
"He said to him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not offer false testimony.’"
"He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,"
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies."
"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:"
"For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or a meddler in other men’s matters."
"But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters."
"nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom."
"Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
"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.”"
"Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof."
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be room enough for."
"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
"The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly."
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal;
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:"
"Soldiers also asked him, saying, “What about us? What must we do?” He said to them, “Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages.”"
"And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages."
"not stealing, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things."
"Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."
"The wicked borrow, and don’t pay back, but the righteous give generously."
"The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth."
"Achan answered Joshua, and said, “I have truly sinned against Yahweh, the God of Israel, and this is what I have done. When I saw among the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it.”"
"And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it."
"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While you kept it, didn’t it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn’t it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to men, but to God.”"
"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."
"Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered;’ that you may do all these abominations?"
"Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?"
"There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break boundaries, and bloodshed causes bloodshed."
"By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood."
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible and the King James Version (both public domain), checked word for word against the full text. Updated October 5, 2026.
Yes. 'You shall not steal' is the eighth commandment (Exodus 20:15, Deuteronomy 5:19), repeated in Leviticus 19:11 and Romans 13:9, and 1 Corinthians 6:10 lists thieves among those who will not inherit the kingdom unless they change.
Proverbs 6:30-31 says people do not despise a thief who steals to satisfy his hunger, but he must pay back sevenfold. Proverbs 30:8-9 prays for neither poverty nor riches so as not to be tempted to steal.
Malachi 3:8-10 says Israel robbed God by withholding tithes and offerings and invites them to bring the full tithe and see God open the windows of heaven. Christians read this as a call to give faithfully.
Return what was taken and add to it, as Zacchaeus did with four times (Luke 19:8) and the Law requires (Exodus 22:1), then work honestly so you have something to share (Ephesians 4:28).
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