A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish (Proverbs 19:9).

The 19th chapter of the Proverbs shows the incredible indignity of poverty.  Verse 4 says that a poor man's friend deserts him; verse 7 says that he is shunned by all his relatives -- left completely alone, to fend for himself in an already-difficult situation.  Clearly, poverty is not an enviable position.  So it should tell us something when, in verse 22, the Proverbs say that it's "better to be poor than a liar."  As bad as it might be to have no job, no food, no money, and no friends -- that's still better than being a liar (even, presumably, an industrious, well-fed, wealthy, and popular liar).

Verse 5 says, "a false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free."  Just four verses later, in case we didn't quite get it the first time, we're told, "a false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish."

Lying is a big problem.  Typically, if I were to do my own rank-ordering of sins (which is probably a silly idea to begin with), lying would be pretty far down the list -- "nowhere near as bad" as murder, or adultery, or tyranny.  But Proverbs 19 certainly makes me reconsider.  If God takes lying so seriously, then maybe I should too.