68 Bible Verses about Is It Ever Okay To Swear

James 5:12 ESV / 11 helpful votes

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Ephesians 4:29 ESV / 10 helpful votes

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Exodus 20:7 ESV / 9 helpful votes

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Matthew 5:33-37 ESV / 8 helpful votes

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Matthew 5:34 ESV / 7 helpful votes

But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

Luke 6:45 ESV / 5 helpful votes

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Matthew 12:36 ESV / 5 helpful votes

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

Matthew 5:34-37 ESV / 5 helpful votes

But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV / 4 helpful votes

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

Matthew 5:22 ESV / 4 helpful votes

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

Deuteronomy 6:13 ESV / 4 helpful votes

It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.

Leviticus 19:12 ESV / 4 helpful votes

You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

1 Peter 3:10 ESV / 3 helpful votes

For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;

James 1:26 ESV / 3 helpful votes

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

Philippians 3:8 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Ephesians 4:25 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

John 8:44 ESV / 3 helpful votes

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Luke 1:37 ESV / 3 helpful votes

For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Matthew 26:74 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.

Matthew 23:16-22 ESV / 3 helpful votes

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ...

Matthew 5:37 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Zechariah 8:16 ESV / 3 helpful votes

These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;

Proverbs 21:23 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Proverbs 4:24 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.

Revelation 1:1-20 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ...

1 John 1:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 Peter 1:15 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

James 4:7 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 3:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

James 3:9-12 ESV / 2 helpful votes

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Hebrews 6:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.

Colossians 3:23 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

Colossians 3:17 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 2:1-23 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. ...

Philippians 4:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 1:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 5:4 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Ephesians 4:24 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Galatians 1:20 ESV / 2 helpful votes

(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)

Galatians 1:8-9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Romans 12:14 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Romans 12:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 3:14 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

Romans 1:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you

Acts 17:10-11 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Luke 16:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

Luke 9:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,

Luke 6:28 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Matthew 23:22 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

Matthew 23:1-39 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, ...

Matthew 15:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes

It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

Matthew 12:34-37 ESV / 2 helpful votes

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 6:33 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 5:1-48 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ...

Hosea 10:4 ESV / 2 helpful votes

They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

Hosea 4:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes

There is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Jeremiah 23:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right.

Ecclesiastes 8:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes

I say: Keep the king's command, because of God's oath to him.

Proverbs 30:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes

There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

Proverbs 15:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 8:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

1 Kings 8:31 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house,

Deuteronomy 10:20 ESV / 2 helpful votes

You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.

Numbers 30:1-16 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, “This is what the Lord has commanded. If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. “If a woman vows a vow to the Lord and binds herself by a pledge, while within her father's house in her youth, and her father hears of her vow and of her pledge by which she has bound herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. But if her father opposes her on the day that he hears of it, no vow of hers, no pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. And the Lord will forgive her, because her father opposed her. ...

Leviticus 20:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.

Leviticus 5:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity;

Exodus 22:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes

An oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution.

Genesis 47:29 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt,

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