Tell the Truth

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors,[a] You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.(A)[b] 34 But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.(B) 36 Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’[c] Anything more than this is from the evil one.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:33 Lit to the ancients
  2. Matthew 5:33 Lv 19:12; Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21
  3. Matthew 5:37 Say what you mean and mean what you say

Teaching about Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was told those who lived long ago, ‘You must not swear an oath falsely,’ but, ‘You must fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’[a] 34 But I tell you not to swear at all, neither by heaven, because it is God’s throne, 35 nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King. 36 Nor should you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Instead, let your message be ‘Yes’ for ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ for ‘No.’ Anything more than that comes from the evil one.”

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