Stealing, in any form, is a serious violation of trust and a clear breach of God’s commandments. It can leave us feeling hurt, betrayed, and vulnerable. In moments like this, it is easy to be consumed by anger or resentment. But, as Christians, we are called to respond differently. The Bible offers clear guidance on how to handle situations when someone steals from us.
The Lord’s perspective on theft is rooted in justice, mercy, and forgiveness. We are reminded that material possessions are not the ultimate treasure and that God is the true provider of all we need. While it is natural to want to seek restitution, we must also reflect God’s love and grace in how we respond to those who wrong us.
The Bible speaks not only about the importance of protecting our possessions but also about trusting in God’s provision and seeking peace, even when wronged. Let’s see what the Bible teaches about handling situations when someone steals from us.
Powerful Bible Verses About When Someone Steals from You
1. Exodus 22:1
“If someone steals an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it, they must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.”
2. Exodus 22:7
“If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.”
3. Leviticus 19:11
“Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.”
4. Proverbs 6:30-31
“People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.”
5. Matthew 5:40
“And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.”
6. Luke 6:30
“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.”
7. Luke 19:8
“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.'”
8. John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
9. Romans 13:9
“The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
10. Ephesians 4:28
“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”
11. 1 Corinthians 6:10
“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.”
12. 2 Thessalonians 3:10
“For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.'”
13. Exodus 22:3
“If the stolen animal is found alive in their possession—whether ox or donkey or sheep—they must pay back double.”
14. Proverbs 21:6
“The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.”
15. Psalm 37:21
“The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously.”
16. Proverbs 11:1
“The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.”
17. Deuteronomy 24:7
“If someone is caught kidnapping a fellow Israelite and treating them as a slave or selling them as a slave, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you.”
18. Psalm 10:8
“He sits in the ambush of villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless.”
19. Isaiah 61:8
“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.”
20. Jeremiah 7:9
“Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known?”
21. Haggai 1:6
“You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
22. Luke 12:33
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”
23. Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…”
24. 1 Thessalonians 4:6
“And that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.”
25. Zechariah 5:3-4
“Then he said to me, ‘This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side of the scroll, everyone who steals will be banished, and according to what it says on the other side, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.'”
26. Proverbs 28:24
“Whoever robs their father or mother and says, ‘It’s not wrong,’ is partner to one who destroys.”
27. Matthew 7:12
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
28. Luke 3:14
“Then some soldiers asked him, ‘And what should we do?’ He replied, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.'”
29. Psalm 119:36-37
“Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”
30. Proverbs 28:27
“Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”
31. Proverbs 22:28
“Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.”
32. 2 Kings 4:7
“She went and told the man of God, and he said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.'”
33. Matthew 25:45
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'”
34. Ephesians 5:5
“For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”
35. 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.”
Our Thought On What The Bible Says About When Someone Steals from You
The Bible is clear in its teachings about theft, emphasizing both the importance of justice and the call for compassion and restoration. From the Old Testament’s laws on restitution to Jesus’ teachings on loving our enemies, God’s Word guides us on how to respond when someone steals from us.
We are reminded that material things are temporary and that, while theft is a sin, the ultimate focus should be on restoration and reconciliation. We are called to trust God as our provider and to handle theft with wisdom, seeking both justice and the opportunity for healing.
The Bible teaches that theft is not only a violation of property but also a reflection of deeper spiritual issues. Yet, in these situations, we must also remember that God’s love and grace are greater than any loss.