² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow^(A) to dedicate a person to the Lord by giving the equivalent value,

² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow^(A), a vow of dedication^(B) to the Lord as a Nazirite,^(C)

²⁸ So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life^(A) he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

¹¹ And she made a vow,^(A) saying, “Lord Almighty^(B), if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember^(C) me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,^(D) and no razor^(E) will ever be used on his head.”

³⁹ After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.

From this comes the Israelite tradition

³⁰ And Jephthah made a vow^(A) to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, ³¹ whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph^(B) from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.^(C)”

²¹ If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it,^(A) for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.^{(B) 22} But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.^{(C) 23} Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.^(A) He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.^{(B) 5} It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.^(C)

³ “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge

² Then Israel made this vow^(A) to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy^[a](B) their cities.”