Two months ago, Jennifer walked into my office at CityLight Church barely holding herself together.
Someone had broken into her home while she was at work, taking not just electronics and jewelry but also her grandmother’s wedding ring—the one piece of family history she treasured most.
“Pastor Mike,” she said through tears, “I know I’m supposed to forgive, but I’m so angry. How does God expect me to respond when someone violates me like this?”
That conversation launched us into weeks of studying what Scripture actually says about theft and how believers should respond when someone steals from them. What we discovered surprised both of us.
The Bible doesn’t ignore the pain of being stolen from, doesn’t minimize the violation, and doesn’t demand instant forgiveness without acknowledging real hurt.
Instead, it offers wisdom for processing anger, guidance for seeking justice appropriately, and encouragement for trusting God when others wrong us.
Being stolen from triggers something primal. It’s not just about losing possessions. It’s about violation, betrayal, and the sickening feeling that someone invaded your space and took what wasn’t theirs.
If you’re reading this because someone stole from you, these Bible verses offer more than platitudes. They provide genuine biblical wisdom for navigating one of life’s most frustrating and painful experiences.
What the Bible Says About Being Stolen From
The Bible addresses theft from multiple angles because God understands how deeply it affects victims. Scripture never treats stealing as a minor issue or tells victims to simply “get over it.”
Instead, God’s Word validates the pain while offering perspective that helps believers respond in ways that honor God without denying legitimate feelings.
What strikes me most after years of pastoral ministry is how the Bible balances justice with mercy. God clearly condemns theft and establishes consequences for thieves, validating victims’ desire for justice.
But Scripture also calls believers to forgive, trust God’s provision, and refuse to let bitterness consume them. This isn’t a contradiction but wisdom recognizing that multiple truths coexist.
At CityLight Church, I’ve watched people work through being stolen from in healthy and unhealthy ways.
Those who fare best acknowledge their anger, pursue appropriate justice through legal channels, but ultimately release the situation to God rather than nursing bitterness.
Those who struggle tend to either suppress legitimate anger (pretending it doesn’t hurt) or feed anger until it becomes consuming bitterness.
The verses below offer biblical guidance for the full range of emotions and questions you face when someone steals from you. Some address God’s justice.
Others speak to forgiveness. Still others focus on trusting God’s provision. Together they provide a complete biblical framework for responding to theft in ways that honor God while acknowledging your very real pain.
25 Bible Verses When Someone Steals from You
1. Exodus 20:15, NIV
“You shall not steal.”
God’s eighth commandment establishes theft as sin. When someone steals from you, they’re not just wronging you—they’re violating God’s direct command, making it ultimately an offense against Him.
2. Ephesians 4:28, ESV
“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”
Paul instructs thieves to stop stealing and work honestly. This verse reminds us that transformation is possible, even for those who’ve stolen from us.
3. Proverbs 6:30-31, NKJV
“People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house.”
Scripture acknowledges understandable motives while still requiring restitution. Even sympathetic circumstances don’t eliminate consequences for theft.
4. Leviticus 19:11, CSB
“Do not steal. Do not act deceptively or lie to one another.”
God links theft with deception, showing that stealing involves not just taking property but betraying trust and violating relationship.
5. Romans 12:19, NLT
“Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the LORD.”
When someone steals from you, resist the urge to personally retaliate. God promises to handle justice His way and in His timing.
6. Matthew 5:40, NIV
“And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.”
Jesus teaches radical generosity that breaks the cycle of retaliation. This doesn’t mean accepting abuse but refusing to let others’ actions control your response.
7. Psalm 37:1-2, ESV
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.”
Don’t let anxiety over thieves consume you. Their apparent success is temporary, while God’s justice is eternal.
8. Luke 6:29-30, NKJV
“To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you.”
Jesus calls believers to respond with unexpected generosity rather than reciprocal violence, demonstrating Kingdom values that transcend normal human reactions.
9. Proverbs 11:1, CSB
“Dishonest scales are detestable to the LORD, but an accurate weight is his delight.”
God hates dishonest gain, including theft. When someone steals from you, remember that God sees and cares about justice.
10. Exodus 22:1, NIV
“Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.”
Old Testament law required thieves to restore far more than what they stole, demonstrating that theft creates debt beyond the stolen item’s value.
11. Matthew 6:19-21, ESV
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus reminds us that earthly possessions are vulnerable to theft, encouraging us to invest in eternal treasures that can’t be stolen.
12. 1 Peter 2:23, NKJV
“who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”
Jesus faced injustice without retaliating, instead trusting God as the righteous judge. This models how believers should respond when wronged.
13. Philippians 4:19, CSB
“And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
When theft creates financial hardship, trust God’s promise to provide what you genuinely need.
14. Psalm 37:25, NLT
“Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.”
David testifies to God’s faithful provision throughout his life, encouraging victims of theft to trust God’s continued care.
15. Proverbs 20:17, NIV
“Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.”
Stolen goods may seem to benefit thieves initially, but they ultimately bring destruction. This perspective helps victims avoid envy.
16. Romans 13:9-10, ESV
“The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’…are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Paul reminds us that theft violates the love commandment, helping victims understand that what happened wasn’t their fault—it was sin against both God and them.
17. Colossians 3:13, NKJV
“bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
Forgiveness doesn’t mean pretending theft didn’t happen, but releasing bitterness and trusting God with justice.
18. Proverbs 28:8, CSB
“Whoever increases his wealth through excessive interest and profit collects it for one who is kind to the poor.”
God promises that dishonest gain eventually transfers to those who will use it righteously, offering hope that stolen possessions serve God’s purposes.
19. Isaiah 61:8, NIV
“For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them.”
God explicitly states His hatred of theft, validating victims’ sense of injustice and promising faithful reward.
20. Luke 12:15, ESV
“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’”
Jesus teaches that possessions don’t define life’s value, helping victims maintain perspective when theft occurs.
21. Hebrews 13:5, NKJV
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
God’s presence matters infinitely more than possessions. Theft can’t steal what matters most—your relationship with God.
22. Proverbs 21:7, CSB
“The violence of the wicked sweeps them away because they refuse to act justly.”
Scripture promises that those who practice injustice face consequences, encouraging victims to trust eventual justice.
23. Matthew 18:15, NIV
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”
When theft involves someone you know, Jesus provides steps for confronting them, pursuing both justice and restoration.
24. Psalm 103:6, ESV
“The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.”
God actively works justice for victims, including those stolen from. Trust His involvement even when you can’t see it.
25. 2 Corinthians 9:8, NKJV
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
God promises sufficient grace and provision even after experiencing loss through theft.
Say This Prayer
Righteous Father,
I come to You hurting because someone stole from me. You know exactly what was taken and how violated I feel. This wasn’t just about losing possessions—it’s about betrayal, invasion, and the sickening reality that someone chose to harm me for their benefit.
I’m angry, Lord, and I need You to help me process this anger in healthy ways. I don’t want to suppress what I’m feeling and pretend it doesn’t hurt, but I also don’t want bitterness to consume me and damage my soul. Show me how to acknowledge legitimate anger while refusing to let it control my life.
Your Word says vengeance belongs to You, so I’m releasing my desire for personal revenge. I trust You to handle justice in Your way and Your timing. Help me pursue appropriate legal action without obsessing over punishment. Let me want Your justice more than I want my revenge.
Forgive me if I’ve placed too much security in possessions that can be stolen. Remind me that my life doesn’t consist in the abundance of things I own. My security comes from You, not from what I possess. Nothing stolen can separate me from Your love or diminish my worth.
I choose to forgive the person who stole from me, even though I may never know who they are. This doesn’t mean what they did was okay or that there shouldn’t be consequences. It means I’m releasing bitterness and trusting You with justice. Help me not to let this experience make me suspicious, fearful, or closed-hearted toward others.
Thank You for Your promise to provide all my needs according to Your riches in glory. The theft created loss, but You’re greater than any loss I’ve experienced. Restore what’s been taken if that’s Your will, but more importantly, restore my peace, trust, and joy.
Through Christ who was robbed of everything yet trusted You completely, Amen.
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