All the people of Israel from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, as well as from the land of Gilead in the east, answered the call. They gathered in one body in the LORD's presence at Mizpah.

All the people stood up together and said, "None of us, whether he lives in a tent or in a house, will go home.

One tenth of the men in Israel will provide food for the army, and the others will go and punish Gibeah for this immoral act that they have committed in Israel."

it will be right for you to swear by my name. Then all the nations will ask me to bless them, and they will praise me."

They asked, "Is there any group out of all the tribes of Israel that did not go to the gathering in the LORD's presence at Mizpah?" (They had taken a solemn oath that anyone who had not gone to Mizpah would be put to death.)

Jephthah promised the LORD: "If you will give me victory over the Ammonites,

I will burn as an offering the first person that comes out of my house to meet me, when I come back from the victory. I will offer that person to you as a sacrifice."

The Israelites were weak with hunger that day, because Saul, with a solemn oath, had given the order: "A curse be on anyone who eats any food today before I take revenge on my enemies." So nobody had eaten anything all day.

But one of the men told him, "We are all weak from hunger, but your father threatened us and said, 'A curse be on anyone who eats any food today.' "

Jonathan answered, "What a terrible thing my father has done to our people! See how much better I feel because I ate some honey!

Think before you speak, and don't make any rash promises to God. He is in heaven and you are on earth, so don't say any more than you have to.

With many vows he said to her, "I swear that I will give you anything you ask for, even as much as half my kingdom!"

The next morning some Jews met together and made a plan. They took a vow that they would not eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul.

I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge.

Do not make any treaties with the people of the country into which you are going, because this could be a fatal trap for you.

"Do not worship any other god, because I, the LORD, tolerate no rivals.

Your sons might marry those foreign women, who would lead them to be unfaithful to me and to worship their pagan gods.

When the LORD your God places these people in your power and you defeat them, you must put them all to death. Do not make an alliance with them or show them any mercy.

Do not marry any of them, and do not let your children marry any of them,