Article: The Bible on Ethics in Business

Business Values and Ethics

·Leviticus 19:35-36 - ³⁵ You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity. ³⁶ You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

·Deuteronomy 10:17 - For Yahweh your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the awesome, who doesn't respect persons, nor takes reward.

·Deuteronomy 24:14-15 - ¹⁴ You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he be of your brothers, or of your foreigners who are in your land within your gates: ¹⁵in his day you shall give him his hire (paycheck), neither shall the sun go down on it; for he is poor, and sets his heart on it: lest he cry against you to Yahweh, and it be sin to you.

·Deuteronomy 25:13-16 - ¹³ You shall not have in your bag diverse weights, a great and a small. ¹⁴ You shall not have in your house diverse measures, a great and a small. ¹⁵ You shall have a perfect and just weight. You shall have a perfect and just measure, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. ¹⁶ For all who do such things, all who do unrighteously, are an abomination to Yahweh your God.

·2 Chronicles 19:7 - Now therefore let the fear of Yahweh be on you. Take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with Yahweh our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.

·Job 34:19 - Who (referring to God) doesn't respect the persons of princes, nor respects the rich more than the poor; for they all are the work of his hands.

·Psalm 62:10 - Don't trust in oppression. Don't become vain in robbery. If riches increase, don't set your heart on them.

·Proverbs 3:27-28 - ²⁷ Don't withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it. ²⁸ Don't say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.

·Proverbs 4:25-27 - ²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.²⁶ Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established. ²⁷ Don't turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.

·Proverbs 10:9 - He who walks blamelessly walks surely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.

·Proverbs 11:1 - A false balance is an abomination to Yahweh, but accurate weights are his delight.

·Proverbs 11:3 - The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

·Proverbs 12:22 - Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh, but those who do the truth are his delight.

·Proverbs 16:11 - Honest balances and scales are Yahweh's; all the weights in the bag are his work.

·Proverbs 19:1 - Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

·Proverbs 20:10 - Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.

·Proverbs 20:14 - "It's no good, it's no good,” says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.

·Proverbs 20:17 - Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.

·Proverbs 20:23 - Yahweh detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing.

·Proverbs 22:1 - A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.

·Proverbs 27:23-24 - ²³ Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds:²⁴ for riches are not forever, nor does even the crown endure to all generations.

·Proverbs 28:6 - Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.

·Proverbs 28:21 - To show partiality is not good; yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

·Ecclesiastes 7:1 - A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth.

·Ezekiel 45:10 - You shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.

·*Matthew 7:12* - Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

·*Luke 6:31* - As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.

·*Galatians 5:14* - For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

·Matthew 21:12-13 - ¹² Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers' tables and the seats of those who sold the doves. ¹³ He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers!”

·Mark 11:15-17 - ¹⁵ They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple, and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of those who sold the doves. ¹⁶ He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple. ¹⁷ He taught, saying to them, "Isn't it written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations?' But you have made it a den of robbers!”

·Luke 19:45-46 - ⁴⁵ He entered into the temple, and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, ⁴⁶ saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of robbers'!”

·John 2:14-16 - ¹⁴ He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting. ¹⁵ He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers' money, and overthrew their tables.¹⁶ To those who sold the doves, he said, "Take these things out of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace!”

·Luke 3:12-13 - ¹² Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what must we do?” ¹³ He said to them, "Collect no more than that which is appointed to you.”

·Luke 16:10-12 - ¹⁰ He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. ¹¹ If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (money), who will commit to your trust the true riches? ¹² If you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

·Acts 10:34-35 - ³⁴ Peter opened his mouth and said, "Truly I perceive that God doesn't show favoritism; ³⁵ but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.”

·Acts 15:8-9 - ⁸ God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. ⁹ He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

·Romans 2:11 - For there is no partiality with God.

·Romans 10:12 - For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him.

·Ephesians 6:8-10 - ⁸ ...knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free. ⁹ You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him. ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.

·*Philippians 2:3-4* - ³ ...doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; ⁴ each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

·Colossians 3:25 - But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.

·James 2:1-4 - ¹ My brothers, don't hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality. ² For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in; ³ and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, "Sit here in a good place”; and you tell the poor man, "Stand there,” or "Sit by my footstool”; ⁴ haven't you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

·1 Peter 1:17 - If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man's work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear...