Matthew 23:18
16 Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’
19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
20 So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’
- KJV
- And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
- WEB
- And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’
- ASV
- And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.
- DARBY
- And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.
- BLB
- And [you say], ‘Whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gift that [is] upon it is bound by his oath.’
- ÅB
- Og dere sier: ‘Om noen sverger ved alteret er det ingen ting, men om noen sverger ved offergaven som ligger på det er han bundet.’
- OTB
- Og dere sier: ‘Hvis noen sverger ved alteret, betyr det ingenting; men hvis noen sverger ved gaven på alteret, er de bundet av den eden.’
- B1930
- Og: Om nogen sverger ved alteret, det er intet; men den som sverger ved den offergave som ligger på det, han er bundet.