A proverb used to warn that lying can lead to worse wrongdoing (like stealing); often told to children to teach honesty.
親は子供に『嘘つきは泥棒の始まり』と教えて、小さな嘘でも許さないようにした。
Parents taught their child 'a liar is the beginning of a thief', making sure not to let small lies go unchallenged.
あの人は嘘が多く、信用を失った。嘘つきは泥棒の始まりだと実感する。
That person lies often and lost trust. I feel that 'a liar is the beginning of a thief' is true.
小さな不正を見逃すと大きな問題になる。嘘つきは泥棒の始まりだから、早めに対処しよう。
If you overlook small dishonest acts, they can become big problems. Since 'lying leads to theft', let's deal with it early.