1. Moses spoke to the leaders of the tribes of the Israelites: This is what the Lord has commanded:
2. When a man makes a solemn promise to the Lord or swears a solemn pledge of binding obligation for himself, he cannot break his word. He must do everything he said.
3. When a woman makes a solemn promise to the Lord or a binding obligation while she is young and in her father’s household,
4. and her father hears her solemn promise or her binding obligation for herself and keeps silent—then all her solemn promises and any of her binding obligations for herself will stand.
5. But if her father expresses disapproval to her on the day that he hears her, none of her solemn promises nor any of her binding obligations for herself will stand. The Lord will forgive her, because her father expressed disapproval to her.
6. If she marries while her solemn promise is in effect or makes a statement by which she binds herself,
7. and her husband hears it and on the day he hears it keeps silent—her solemn promises will stand as well as her binding obligations for herself.
8. But if on the day that her husband hears it he expresses disapproval to her, he can break her solemn promise and the statement by which she bound herself. Then the Lord will forgive her.