To take oath na ‘serious agreement, or promise wey person make to do something. And many times, them de mention God as witness.’ This kind agreement de be for mouth or they fit write-am.

Some people fit think say na bad thing to take oath or to swear because Jesus talk say: “Make wuna no swear at all . . . The main thing be say, make wuna ‘Yes’ mean yes, and make wuna ‘No’ mean no, because anything wey pass this one na from the wicked person.” (Matt. 5:33-37) True-true, Jesus know say the law wey Jehovah use Moses give Israel people talk about some oath wey they go need to take for some situation, and some faithful servants of God take this oath them. (Gen. 14:22, 23; Ex. 22:10, 11) E still know say even Jehovah take oath. (Heb. 6:13-17) So wetin Jesus mean no be say we no go ever take oath. But, e de warn people make they no take oath for something wey no dey important or something wey no get meaning. Jehovah want make we de always do wetin we talk say we go do. We must take anything wey we talk serious.

So when they say make you swear, wetin you suppose do? Number one, make you dey sure say you fit do wetin you swear say you go do. If you no dey sure, e go better make you no take the oath. Bible warn us say: “E better make you no promise at all, than make you promise and you no do-am.” (Eccl. 5:5) Another thing be say, make you check the things wey Bible talk about the oath and then use your conscience wey Bible don train to decide wetin you go do. Wetin be some of this things wey Bible talk?

Some oath no dey against wetin God want. For example, when man and woman wey be Jehovah Witness want marry, them de make promise. This promise na type of oath. For the eyes of God and people, the husband and wife de promise say they go love each other, take care of each other, and respect each other and they go continue to do like that as long as them dey alive. (Other husband and wife fit no talk exactly this thing wey we talk for here, but they still de promise each other for front of God.) Then they go become husband and wife and their marriage go continue for the rest of their life. (Gen. 2:24; 1 Cor. 7:39) This arrangement dey fine, and e dey as God want.

Some oath dey against wetin God want. Better Christian no go take that kind oath. For example, to take oath say e go use weapon defend e country, or say e no be servant of God again. If e do like that, e no obey wetin God command. Christians no suppose ever “be part of the world.” So, because of this one, we no go put hand for the problems of this world or join for war.—John 15:19; Isa. 2:4; Jas. 1:27.

 Na some Christians go use their conscience decide whether they go take some oath or they no go take-am. Sometimes, we go need to sofri check the thing wey Jesus talk when e say make we “pay back Caesar things to Caesar but give God things to God.”—Luke 20:25.

If for example Christian de apply to be citizen (or member) of another country, or e want get passport to help-am fit go the country. Then, e come find out say e go need to take oath to show say e go de obey the laws of the country. And if for that country the oath mean say e go swear say e go do things wey dey against God law, e conscience wey e don use Bible train no go allow make e take that kind oath. But maybe the government fit allow make e arrange the oath for the way wey e no go affect e conscience.

When they arrange that kind oath for the way wey e no go dey against God law, this one fit agree with wetin Romans 13:1 talk. E talk say: “Make everybody de obey people wey get authority to rule.” So Christian fit decide say e no bad to swear to do something wey God don already say make we do.

E dey important make we follow our conscience wey we don use Bible train, when they tell us to use something swear, or to do something as sign when we de swear. The olden days Rome people and Scythia people use their sword swear. This one mean say them de use the authority of their war god to show say wetin they talk na true. Greek people de raise their hand up when them de take oath. They believe say person dey for heaven wey de hear and see everything wey them de talk and do, and say na this person go judge everybody for wetin they do.

The truth be say, servants of Jehovah no go swear with anything wey de represent any country and e connect with lie-lie worship. But wetin you go do if they tell you for court say make you put your hand ontop Bible and swear say wetin you go talk na true? For that kind situation, you fit decide to do like that, since Bible talk about some faithful servants of God wey do some things as sign when them de take oath. (Gen. 24:2, 3, 9; 47:29-31) E dey important make we remember say, if we de take that kind oath, we de swear for front of God say we go talk truth. You need to dey ready to talk true as you de answer any question wey they ask you.

Because our friendship with Jehovah really dey important to us, we suppose pray and sofri think about any oath wey they say make we take, to make sure say e no dey against our conscience and wetin Bible talk. If you decide say you go take oath, you must dey ready to do wetin you talk.—1 Pet. 2:12.