¹⁶ People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.^(A)

¹¹ the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oath^(A) before the Lord that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person’s property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required.

The Certainty of God’s Promise

¹³ When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,^(A)

¹⁶ “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die^(A) in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.^{(B) 17} Pharaoh^(C) with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps^(D) are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.^{(E) 18} He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge^(F) and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.

¹⁹ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant.^{(G) 20} I will spread my net^(H) for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment^(I) on him there because he was unfaithful^(J) to me.

¹⁵ Then Joshua made a treaty of peace^(A) with them to let them live,^(B) and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

¹⁶ Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near^(C) them. ¹⁷ So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth^(D) and Kiriath Jearim.^{(E) 18} But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath^(F) to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.

The whole assembly grumbled^(G) against the leaders, ¹⁹ but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. ²⁰ This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath^(H) we swore to them.”

⁵³ May the God of Abraham^(A) and the God of Nahor,^(B) the God of their father, judge between us.”^(C)

So Jacob took an oath^(D) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.^(E)

³⁰ He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness^(A) that I dug this well.^(B)”

³¹ So that place was called Beersheba,^[a](C) because the two men swore an oath^(D) there.

²³ Now swear^(A) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.^(B) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”^(C)

²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom,^(A) “With raised hand^(B) I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High,^(C) Creator of heaven and earth,^(D)