James 5:12
Modern Translations
New International Version
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple "Yes" or "No." Otherwise you will be condemned.

New Living Translation
But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Study Bible
Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.

New American Standard Bible
But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you do not fall under judgment.

NASB 1995
But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

NASB 1977
But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and your no, no; so that you may not fall under judgment.

Amplified Bible
But above all, my fellow believers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be [a truthful] yes, and your no be [a truthful] no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

Christian Standard Bible
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. Your "yes" must be "yes," and your "no" must be "no," so that you won't fall under judgment.

Contemporary English Version
My friends, above all else, don't take an oath. You must not swear by heaven or by earth or by anything else. "Yes" or "No" is all you need to say. If you say anything more, you will be condemned.

Good News Translation
Above all, my friends, do not use an oath when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Say only "Yes" when you mean yes, and "No" when you mean no, and then you will not come under God's judgment.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Above all things, my brothers and sisters, do not take an oath on anything in heaven or on earth. Do not take any oath. If you mean yes, say yes. If you mean no, say no. Do this so that you won't be condemned.

International Standard Version
Above all, brothers, do not swear oaths by heaven, by earth, or by any other object. Instead, let your "Yes" mean yes and your "No" mean no! Otherwise, you may fall under condemnation.

NET Bible
And above all, my brothers and sisters, 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 into judgment.
Classic Translations
King James Bible
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

New King James Version
But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.

King James 2000 Bible
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest you fall under judgment.

New Heart English Bible
But above all things, my brothers, do not swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no," "no;" so that you do not fall under judgment.

World English Bible
But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no," "no;" so that you don't fall into hypocrisy.

American King James Version
But above all things, my brothers, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yes be yes; and your no, no; lest you fall into condemnation.

American Standard Version
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.

A Faithful Version
But above all things, my brethren, do not swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and let your no be no, so that you do not fall into hypocrisy.

Darby Bible Translation
But before all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, that ye do not fall under judgment.

English Revised Version
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.

Webster's Bible Translation
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea, be yea: and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

Early Modern
Geneva Bible of 1587
But before all thinges, my brethren, sweare not, neither by heauen, nor by earth, nor by any other othe: but let your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay, lest ye fall into condemnation.

Bishops' Bible of 1568
But aboue all thynges my brethren, sweare not, neither by heauen, neither by earth, neither any other othe: Let your yea, be yea, and your nay nay, lest you fall into condempnation.

Coverdale Bible of 1535
But aboue all thinges my brethre, sweare not, nether by heaue, nether by earth, nether by eny other othe. Let youre ye be ye, and yor naye naye: lest ye faule in to ypocricy.

Tyndale Bible of 1526
But above all thynges my brethre sweare not nether by heven nether by erth nether by eny other othe. Let youre ye be ye and youre maye naye: lest ye faule into ypocrecy.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And before all things, my brothers, do not swear, neither by Heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes, and the “No,” no, that you may not fall under judgment.

Berean Literal Bible
But before all things, my brothers, do not swear, neither by heaven, nor the earth, nor any other oath. But let your "Yes" be yes, and the "No," no, so that you might not fall under judgment.

Young's Literal Translation
And before all things, my brethren, do not swear, neither by the heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath, and let your Yes be Yes, and the No, No; that under judgment ye may not fall.

Smith's Literal Translation
And before all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor any other oath: and let your yea be yea; and nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.

Literal Emphasis Translation
Before all however, my brothers, do not swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; however let your yes be yes and your no be no, so that you might not fall under judgment.

Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath. But let your speech be, yea, yea: no, no: that you fall not under judgment.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But 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.

Translations from Aramaic
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But above all things, my brethren, do not be swearing vows, neither by Heaven, neither by The Earth, neither by any other oath; let your word be, 'Yes, yes' and 'No, no', lest you be condemned under the judgment.

Lamsa Bible
But above all things, my brethren, do not swear, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your words be yes, yes, and no, no; lest you fall under condemnation.

NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, either by heaven, or by the earth, or with any other oath: but let your yes, be yes, and your no, be no, lest you fall into condemnation.

Godbey New Testament
But, my brethren, before all, swear not, neither by heaven, or by earth, or any other oath: but let your conversation be yes yes; and no no; lest you may fall under condemnation.

Haweis New Testament
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your no, no; that ye fall not under condemnation.

Mace New Testament
Above all things, my brethren, don't swear, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor use any other oath; but let your affirmation, or negation, be sincere, lest you fall under condemnation.

Weymouth New Testament
But above all things, my brethren, do not swear, either by Heaven or by the earth, or with any other oath. Let your 'yes' be simply 'yes,' and your 'no' be simply 'no;' that you may not come under condemnation.

Worrell New Testament
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, either by Heaven, or by earth, or by any other oath; but let yours be "the yes, yes," and "the no, no"; that ye fall not under condemnation.

Worsley New Testament
But above all, my brethren, swear not; neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay nay; that ye may not fall under condemnation.
















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