² “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone ^(A)makes a special vow to the Lord involving the valuation of persons,

² “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of ^(A)a Nazirite,^{[a] (B)}to separate himself to the Lord,

²⁸ Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

^(A)And he worshiped the Lord there.

¹¹ And she ^(A)vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed ^(B)look on the affliction of your servant and ^(C)remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, ^(D)and no razor shall touch his head.”

³⁹ And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, ^(A)who did with her according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man, and it became a custom in Israel

³⁰ And Jephthah ^(A)made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, ³¹ then whatever^[a] comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites ^(B)shall be the Lord's, and ^(C)I will offer it^[b] up for a burnt offering.”

^21 (A)“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. ²² But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. ²³ You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.

⁴ When ^(A)you vow a vow to God, ^(B)do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. ^(C)Pay what you vow. ^5 (D)It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Women and Vows

³ “If a woman vows a vow to the Lord and binds herself by a pledge, while within her father's house in her youth,

^2 (A)And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.”^[a]