oaths

³³Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients: ‘You shall not swear falsely. For you shall repay your oaths to the Lord.’ ³⁴But I say to you, do not swear an oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵nor by earth, for it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. ³⁶Neither shall you swear an oath by your own head, because you are not able to cause one hair to become white or black. ³⁷But let your word ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ For anything beyond that is of evil.

¹²But before all things, my brothers, do not choose to swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor in any other oath. But let your word ‘Yes’ be yes, and your word ‘No’ be no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

²And he said to the leaders of the tribes of the sons of Israel: “This is the word, which the Lord has instructed:

²¹When you have made a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not be late in paying it. For the Lord your God demands it. And if you delay, it shall be imputed to you as a sin. ²²If you are not willing to make a promise, then it shall be without sin. ²³But as soon as it has departed from your lips, you shall observe and do just as you have promised to the Lord your God and just as you have spoken by your own free will and with your own mouth.

¹²You shall not commit perjury in my name, nor shall you pollute the name of your God. I am the Lord.

¹⁶Woe to you, blind guides, who say: ‘Whoever will have sworn by the temple, it is nothing. But whoever will have sworn by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ ¹⁷You are foolish and blind! For which is greater: the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? ¹⁸And you say: ‘Whoever will have sworn by the altar, it is nothing. But whoever will have sworn by the gift that is on the altar is obligated.’ ¹⁹How blind you are! For which is greater: the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? ²⁰Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all that is on it. ²¹And whoever will have sworn by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells in it.

¹⁶For men swear by what is greater than themselves, and an oath as confirmation is the end of all their controversy.

⁷You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. For the Lord will not hold harmless one who takes the name of the Lord his God falsely.

²³But I call God as a witness to my soul, that I was lenient with you, in that I did not return to Corinth:

⁴In his sight, the malicious one has been reduced to nothing, but he glorifies those who fear the Lord. He who swears to his neighbor and does not deceive.