[42] And so, bhikkhus, when money was not being provided to those without wealth (adhanānaṃ dhane nānuppadiyamāne), poverty became widespread. When poverty had become widespread, taking what is not given (adinnādāna) became widespread. When taking what is not given had become widespread, the sword became widespread. When the sword had become widespread, the killing of living beings (pāṇātipāta) became widespread. When the killing of living beings had become widespread, false speech (musāvāda) became widespread. When false speech had become widespread, the lifespan of those beings declined and their beauty declined. As they were declining in lifespan and declining in beauty, the humans who lived eighty thousand years had children who lived forty thousand years.
Bhikkhus, among the humans who lived forty thousand years, a certain man took by way of theft what others had not given. They seized him, and having seized him, they presented him to the anointed khattiya king, saying, 'Your Majesty, this man took by way of theft what others had not given.' When this was said, bhikkhus, the anointed khattiya king said to that man: 'Is it really true, my man, that you took by way of theft what others had not given?' 'No, Your Majesty,' he said, deliberately speaking a lie.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.