Matthew 5:27-37

New Testament for Everyone

On adultery and oaths

²⁷ “You heard,” Jesus continued, “that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I say to you: everyone who gazes at a woman in order to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye trips you up, tear it out and throw it away. Yes: it’s better for you to have one part of your body destroyed than for your whole body to be thrown into Gehenna. ³⁰ And if your right hand trips you up, cut it off and throw it away. Yes: it’s better for you to have one part of your body destroyed than for your whole body to go into Gehenna.

³¹ “It was also said, ‘If someone divorces his wife, he should give her a legal document to prove it.’ ³² But I say to you: everyone who divorces his wife, unless it’s in connection with immorality, makes her commit adultery; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

³³ “Again, you heard that it was said to the people long ago: ‘You shall not swear falsely, but you shall give to the Lord what you promised under oath.’ ³⁴ But I say to you: don’t swear at all! Don’t swear by heaven (it’s God’s throne!); ³⁵ don’t swear by the earth (it’s God’s footstool!); don’t swear by Jerusalem (it’s the city of the great king!); ³⁶ don’t swear by your head (you can’t make one hair of it turn white or black!). ³⁷ When you’re talking, say ‘Yes’ when you mean Yes, and ‘No’ when you mean No. Anything more than that comes from the evil one.”