Chapter 30

So Moses told the Israelites what charge the Lord had given him.

He also gave the chief men of Israel’s tribes this command from the Lord:

It may be, man or woman will take a vow, or an oath. If it be a man, he must in any case carry out what he promised, and not be false to his word.

But if a woman has made a vow, or bound herself by an oath, it may be she is only a girl, living in her father’s house still. Did her father know that she had vowed or sworn, and make no protest? Then she is bound by her vow;

she must fulfil what she bound herself by oath to fulfil.

Did her father, as soon as he heard of it, refuse his consent? Then vow or oath are null and void; she cannot be held to her promise if her father did not consent to it.

It may be such a girl will marry, still under her vow, still bound by her youthful undertaking;

does her husband hear of it without protest? She must be held to her vow thenceforward; she must carry out what she promised.

Or does he refuse his consent upon hearing of it? Then he annuls this promise, this youthful undertaking of hers, and the Lord will not hold her guilty.

Or the woman may be a widow, or a wife divorced; she must then fulfil her promise.

Or a wife already living under her husband’s roof, may take vow or oath;

is she bound to fulfil her promise? Yes, if he hears of it and makes no protest.

But if he immediately refuses his consent, she cannot be held to her undertaking; the Lord will not hold her guilty if her husband’s consent is refused.

It may be a wife will bind herself by an oath, vowing to mortify herself by fasting or some other kind of abstinence; it is for her husband to decide whether she is to keep it or not.

If he makes no protest on hearing of it, but waits till afterwards before making his decision, she must pay her vow, keep the promise she made; there was no protest from him when he heard of it.

If, after hearing of it, he refuses his consent, then it is he that will be held to account for her fault.

Such are the rules the Lord gave Moses, to govern the conduct of husband and wife, or of a father and his daughter when she is a girl still living at home.