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Rules About Special Promises

¹ Moses spoke with the leaders of the Israelite tribes. He told them these commands from the Lord.

² "If a man makes a promise to the Lord or says he will do something special, he must keep his promise. He must do what he said. ³ If a young woman still living at home makes a promise to the Lord or pledges to do something special, ⁴ and if her father hears about the promise or pledge and says nothing, she must do what she promised. She must keep her pledge. ⁵ But if her father hears about the promise or pledge and does not allow it, then the promise or pledge does not have to be kept. Her father would not allow it, so the Lord will free her from her promise.

⁶ "If a woman makes a pledge or a careless promise and then gets married, ⁷ and if her husband hears about it and says nothing, she must keep her promise or the pledge she made. ⁸ But if her husband hears about it and does not allow it, he cancels her pledge or the careless promise she made. The Lord will free her from keeping it.

⁹ "If a widow or divorced woman makes a promise, she must do whatever she promised.

¹⁰ "If a woman makes a promise or pledge while she is married, ¹¹ and if her husband hears about it but says nothing and does not stop her, she must keep her promise or pledge. ¹² But if her husband hears about it and cancels it, she does not have to do what she said. Her husband has canceled it, so the Lord will free her from it. ¹³ A woman's husband may make her keep or cancel any promise or pledge she has made. ¹⁴ If he says nothing to her about it for several days, she must keep her promises. If he hears about them and says nothing, she must keep her promises. ¹⁵ But if he cancels them long after he heard about them, he is responsible if she breaks her promise."

¹⁶ These are commands that the Lord gave to Moses for husbands and wives, and for fathers with daughters living at home.