Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath,(A) but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’(B) 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all:(C) either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;(D) 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.(E) 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;(F) anything beyond this comes from the evil one.[a](G)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:37 Or from evil

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21; Ecclesiastes 5:4 34 but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

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