Rules about vows
1Moses told the people of Israel exactly what Yahweh had commanded him.
2Moses spoke to the leaders of the tribes of Israel. He said, “This is what Yahweh has commanded:
3If a man makes a vow to give something to Yahweh or a solemn promise to abstain from something, he must not break his promise: whatever he promises by word of mouth he must do.
4If a woman makes a vow to give something to the Lord or a solemn promise to abstain from something while she is still young and lives in her father’s house, 5and if he hears about this vow or promise made by her and says nothing to her about it, she must do whatever she has promised. 6But if the father on the day he learns of it expresses his disapproval of it, then she is not required to keep her promise. Yahweh will not hold her to her promise, since her father has expressed his disapproval.
7If a woman makes a vow before being married or makes a solemn promise to abstain from something, either deliberately or without giving it much thought, 8she must do everything she vowed even after she marries if her husband learns of it and says nothing about it. 9But if on the day he learns of it he expresses his disapproval to her, she is not required to keep her promise. Yahweh will not hold her to it. 10Any vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, or any pledge to which she binds herself is valid.
11If she has made a vow or a solemn promise to abstain from something while in her husband’s house, 12and if when the husband learns of it he says nothing to her and does not express disapproval to her, then she must do whatever she has vowed or solemnly promised to abstain from. 13But if the husband forbids it on the day he learns of it, she is not required to do whatever she has vowed or solemnly promised. Yahweh will not hold her to it.
14Any vow or solemn promise to abstain from something that the wife makes, must be allowed or forbidden by the husband. 15If by the following day the husband has said nothing to her, it means that he approves or allows her vow, whatever it may be, or her solemn promise, whatever it may be. He confirms the vows of his wife by saying nothing on the day he learns of them. 16But if he forbids them a long time after he learned of them, then he must suffer what results from the wife’s failure to fulfill the vow or solemn promise.”
17These are the laws given by Yahweh to Moses, concerning the relationship between man and wife, and between a father and his daughter while still young and living in her father’s home.
