²⁹ join with their kin, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his ordinances and his statutes.^(A)

⁵ and not as we expected. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us,

³ The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, keeping his commandments, his decrees, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. All the people joined in the covenant.^(A)

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow.^{(A) 5} It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.^(B)

Concerning Oaths

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’^(A)

¹³ and whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.^{(A) 14} They took an oath to the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns.