³⁵ When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.”^(A)

⁷ so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” ⁹ The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given;

^2 [a]Never be rash with your mouth nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few.^(A)

³ For dreams come with many cares, and a fool’s voice with many words.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow.^{(B) 5} It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.^{(C) 6} Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your words and destroy the work of your hands?

²⁰ Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped.^(A)

David Mourns for Absalom

^33 [a]The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept, and as he went he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”^(A)

³⁰ While they were on the way, the report came to David that Absalom had killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them was left. ³¹ The king rose, tore his garments, and lay on the ground, and all his servants who were standing by tore their garments.^(A)

⁴⁴ Saul said, “God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan!”^{(A) 45} Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God today.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, and he did not die.^(B)

The Benjaminites Saved from Extinction

21 Now the Israelites had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.”^{(A) 2} And the people came to Bethel and sat there until evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly.^{(B) 3} They said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, why has it come to pass that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?” ⁴ On the next day, the people got up early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and sacrifices of well-being.^{(C) 5} Then the Israelites said, “Who out of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord?” For a solemn oath had been taken concerning whoever did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, “That one shall be put to death.” ⁶ But the Israelites had compassion for Benjamin their kin and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel this day. ⁷ What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them any of our daughters as wives?”^(D)

² When a man makes 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.^(A)

³ “When a woman makes a vow to the Lord or binds herself by a pledge while within her father’s house, in her youth, ⁴ and her father hears of her vow or her pledge by which she has bound herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and any pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. ⁵ But if her father overrules her at the time that he hears of it, no vow of hers and no pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand, and the Lord will forgive her because her father overruled her.^(B)