and a charitable judgment of others.

I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN.

ALL LYING is forbidden. [Ps. 34:13+] False witness against other
_persons_ is the worst form of lying. All lesser forms of lying are
forbidden along with the greater.

1. _False Witness against our Neighbor._ We must not tell a falsehood
about another person either in court or in every-day life. We must not

BELIE him, that is, tell an untruth about him.

BETRAY. [Prov. 11:13+, Prov. 24:28] We must not abuse our neighbor's
confidence by revealing his innocent secrets, and thus annoying or
harming him. One who pretends to be another's friend, and yet betrays
him, is acting a lie. We dare not, however, hide crime; and we must tell
what we know about others if the court, or parents, or persons who have
a right to know, inquire of us.

SLANDER NOR RAISE INJURIOUS REPORTS. [Exod. 23:1+, Lev. 19:16, Ps.
15:1-3] We must not invent nor repeat false reports concerning our
neighbor. We must not say behind his back what we fear to say to his
face. We must not magnify his faults, [Matt. 7:3-5] nor impute evil
motives to him, nor make his words and conduct look as bad as possible.
The slanderer is worse than a thief and causes incalculable suffering
and misery. [Prov. 25:18+, Jas. 3:5-8] We should remember that words
once spoken live on for good or evil, and cannot be unsaid; and that we
must give an account to God for every word we speak. [Matt. 12:36]