¹² But above all, my brethren, ^(A)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into ^[a]judgment.

Jesus Forbids Oaths

³³ “Again you have heard that ^(A)it was said to those of ^[a]old, ^(B)‘You shall not swear falsely, but ^(C)shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, ^(D)do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is ^(E)God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of ^(F)the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ^37 (G)But let ^[b]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan ^(A)according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? ¹⁸ But as God is ^(B)faithful, our ^[a]word to you was not Yes and No. ¹⁹ For ^(C)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, ^(D)Silvanus, and ^(E)Timothy—was not Yes and No, ^(F)but in Him was Yes. ^20 (G)For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

³⁴ But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.

¹⁶ “Woe to you, ^(A)blind guides, who say, ^(B)‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁷ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold ^(C)or the temple that ^[a]sanctifies the gold? ¹⁸ And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁹ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift ^(D)or the altar that sanctifies the gift? ²⁰ Therefore he who ^[b]swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. ²¹ He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by ^(E)Him who ^[c]dwells in it. ²² And he who swears by heaven, swears by ^(F)the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

⁸ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ^(A)“love will cover a multitude of sins.”

The Untamable Tongue

3 My brethren, ^(A)let not many of you become teachers, ^(B)knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. ² For ^(C)we all stumble in many things. ^(D)If anyone does not stumble in word, ^(E)he is a ^[a]perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

² Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.