⁴ Or when any of you utter aloud a rash oath for a bad or a good purpose, whatever people utter in an oath and are unaware of it, when you come to know it, you shall in any of these be guilty.

^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?

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹² In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.^(A)

²³ And he swore^[a] to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.”^(A)

²² God do so to David^[a] and more also if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.”^(A)

³¹ then whatever^[a] comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the Lord’s, to be offered up by me as a burnt offering.”

⁸ But if, at the time that her husband hears of it, he overrules her, then he shall nullify the vow by which she was obligated or the thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she bound herself, and the Lord will forgive her.^(A)

⁹ The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given;

⁷ so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask.

¹⁸ Because he despised the oath and broke the covenant, because he gave his hand and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.^{(A) 19} Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, I will surely return upon his head my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke.