1. (a) Wanem nao Jephthah and Hannah tufala semsem long hem? (Lukim piksa long start bilong study.) (b) Olketa wanem kwestin nao bae iumi ansarem long disfala study?

JEPHTHAH hem gudfala leader and man for faet wea no fraet. Hannah hem woman wea hambol, lukaftarem gud hasband bilong hem, and keepim gud haos bilong hem. Jephthah and Hannah worshipim Jehovah. And tu, tufala evriwan promisim samting long Jehovah, and tufala faithful for duim wanem tufala promisim. Tufala hia showimaot gudfala example for olketa man and woman wea promis for duim samting for Jehovah. Long disfala study bae iumi storyim ansa for thrifala kwestin hia: Wanem nao datfala word “promis” savve minim? Waswe, hem important for iumi duim wanem iumi promisim long God? Wanem nao iumi savve lanem from example bilong Jephthah and Hannah?

2, 3. (a) Wanem nao datfala word “promis” savve minim? (b) Wanem nao Bible talem abaotem olketa promis wea iumi mekem long God?

² Staka taem long Bible, datfala word “promis” hem savve minim promis wea samwan talem long God. Olsem example, maet samwan promis long Jehovah hem bae duim wanfala samting, promis for givim samting long God, promis for duim wanfala spesol waka, or hem promis for no duim wanfala samting. Olketa promis wea iumi talem long Jehovah hem samting wea iumiseleva nao disaed for duim, and no eniwan forcem iumi for duim datwan. Nomata olsem, taem samwan promis long Jehovah for duim wanfala samting,  Jehovah expectim datfala man for duim wanem hem promisim. Taem samwan mekem wanfala promis long God, hem wanfala serious samting, olsem taem samwan hem swear long nem bilong wanfala man for duim wanfala samting or for no duim samting. (Gen. 14:22, 23; Heb. 6:16, 17) Waswe, Bible sei hem important for iumi duim samting wea iumi promisim long God?

³ Long Law bilong Moses hem sei taem man mekem promis long Jehovah, “hem mas keepim promis bilong hem. Hem shud duim evri samting wea hem promis for duim.” (Num. 30:2) Solomon sei tu: “Taem iu mekem wanfala promis long God, iu mas duim nao wanem iu promisim, bikos hem no hapi long man wea no duim wanem hem promisim. So duim wanem iu promisim.” (Eccl. 5:4) Jesus talem hem wanfala serious samting for mekem wanfala promis long God. Hem sei: “Iufala herem hao long bifor, olketa sei: ‘Iu mas duim wanem iu promis for duim. Sapos iu promisim samting long Jehovah, iu mas duim datwan.’”—Matt. 5:33.

4. (a) Why nao hem important for iumi duim wanem iumi promisim long Jehovah? (b) Wanem nao bae iumi lanem abaotem Jephthah and Hannah?

⁴ Tru nao, hem important for duim wanem iumi promisim long Jehovah bikos hem affectim wei wea iumi fren witim hem. David sei: “Hu nao fit for go ap long maunten bilong Jehovah, and hu nao fit for standap long holy ples bilong hem?” Then hem sei, eniwan “wea duim wanem hem promisim” bae Jehovah acceptim hem. (Ps. 24:3, 4) So wanem nao Jephthah and Hannah promisim long God? Waswe, hem isi for tufala duim wanem tufala promisim?

5. Wanem nao Jephthah promisim long God, and wanem nao happen?

⁵ Jephthah mekem wanfala promis long Jehovah taem hem redi for faetem olketa Ammonite. Olketa hia enemy bilong pipol bilong God. (Judg. 10:7-9) Jephthah askem Jehovah for helpem hem for winim datfala faet and hem promis long God. Hem sei: “Sapos iu mekem mi winim olketa bilong Ammon, first wan wea kamaot from haos bilong mi for lukim mi taem mi kam bak from datfala faet, bae mi givim hem nao long Jehovah.” God helpem Jephthah for winim datfala faet. Taem Jephthah kasem bak haos bilong hem, dota bilong hem wea hem lovem tumas, kam for meetim hem. So dota hia nao bae Jephthah ‘givim hem long Jehovah.’ (Judg. 11:30-34) Hao nao diswan bae affectim dota bilong Jephthah?

6. (a) Waswe, hem isi for Jephthah and dota bilong hem for duim samting wea Jephthah promisim long Jehovah? (b) Wanem nao iumi savve lanem long Deuteronomy 23:21, 23 and Psalm 15:4 saed long olketa samting wea iumi promisim long God?

⁶ Dota bilong Jephthah duim wanem dadi bilong hem promisim long Jehovah and hem go waka long tabernacle for full laef bilong hem. Waswe, Jephthah no tingting gud bifor hem mekem datfala promis long Jehovah? Nomoa. Luk olsem, maet Jephthah savve finis dota bilong hem bae first wan wea kam for meetim hem. Nomata olsem, hem no isi for Jephthah and dota bilong hem for duim samting wea Jephthah promisim long Jehovah. Taem Jephthah lukim dota bilong hem, hem barava sorre. Dota bilong hem tu krae fogud. Why nao olsem? Jephthah no garem eni nara pikinini, and datfala dota bae no marit nao and bae no garem pikinini. Famili laen bilong Jephthah bae nomoa nao. Nomata tufala sorre tumas, tufala luksavve long wanfala important samting. Jephthah sei: “Mi mekem promis long Jehovah, and mi mas duim nao.” Dota bilong hem sei: “Mi willing for duim wanem iu promisim.” (Judg. 11:35-39) Jephthah and dota bilong hem faithful for duim wanem tufala promisim long God  nomata hem no isi for tufala.—Readim Deuteronomy 23:21, 23; Psalm 15:4.

7. (a) Wanem nao Hannah promisim long Jehovah and why nao olsem, and wanem nao Jehovah duim for Hannah? (b) From datfala promis bilong Hannah, wanem nao Samuel mas duim? (Lukim footnote.)

⁷ Hannah tu hem mekem wanfala promis long Jehovah. Hem sorre bikos hem no savve garem pikinini, and tu, nara waef bilong hasband bilong hem savve tok daonem hem for datwan. (1 Sam. 1:4-7, 10, 16) Hem prea long Jehovah and hem promis olsem: “Jehovah wea iu komanda bilong olketa angel long heven, sapos iu lukim hard taem wea kasem mi and iu tingim slave gele bilong iu and iu givim mi wanfala pikinini boy, mi bae givim hem long iu, Jehovah, mekem hem savve waka for iu for full laef bilong hem, and no eniwan bae katem hair bilong hem.” * (1 Sam. 1:11) Jehovah ansarem prea bilong Hannah, and gogo hem bornem wanfala pikinini boy, wea nem bilong hem Samuel. Hannah hem hapi tumas! Bat hem no forgetim promis wea hem talem long God. Taem hem bornem datfala baby, hem sei: “Hem nao wanem mi askem long Jehovah.”—1 Sam. 1:20.

8. (a) Waswe, hem isi for Hannah duim samting wea hem promisim long Jehovah? (b) Wanem nao Psalm 61 storyim wea helpem iumi for tingim gudfala example bilong Hannah?

⁸ Taem Samuel kasem samting olsem thri year, Hannah barava duim samting wea hem promisim long Jehovah. Hem tekem Samuel go long Hae Priest Eli long tabernacle long Shiloh, and hem sei: “Disfala boy nao mi askem long Jehovah taem mi prea, and hem givim hem long mi. Distaem mi bae givim hem go bak long Jehovah. Hem bae waka for Jehovah for full laef bilong hem.” (1 Sam. 1:24-28) Start long datfala taem Samuel hem stap long tabernacle. Bible sei hem “gohed for duim waka bilong Jehovah.” (1 Sam. 2:21) Datwan hem no isi samting for Hannah bikos bae hem no stap nao witim son bilong hem wea hem lovem tumas. Bae hem missim wei for plei witim hem, story witim hem, and teachim hem taem hem gohed for growap. Nomata olsem, Hannah duim wanem hem promisim long Jehovah bikos datwan nao important long hem winim samting wea hemseleva laekem.—1 Sam. 2:1, 2; readim Psalm 61:1, 5, 8.

9. Olketa wanem kwestin nao bae iumi storyim?

⁹ From iumi luksavve wei for mekem promis long Jehovah hem wanfala serious samting, iumi bae storyim olketa kwestin hia: Wanem nao samfala samting wea iumi promisim finis long God distaem? Why nao hem barava important for duim wanem iumi promisim?

10. Wanem promis nao barava important long wanfala Christian, and why nao olsem?

¹⁰ Taem wanfala Christian hem dedicatem laef bilong hem long Jehovah, datwan hem barava important promis. Why nao olsem? Bikos taem hem prea hem promis long God hem bae duim wanem God laekem for full laef bilong hem, nomata wanem nao happen. Jesus sei iumi mas ‘givim laef bilong iumi for God,’ wea datwan minim wanem Jehovah laekem mas important winim wanem iumiseleva laekem. (Matt. 16:24) Start long datfala taem, “iumi bilong Jehovah” nao. (Rome 14:8) Iumi barava laek for duim wanem iumi promisim long Jehovah. Iumi garem sem tingting olsem man wea raetem psalm wea sei: “Wanem nao mi savve givim long Jehovah for evri gud samting wea hem givim long mi? Mi bae duim wanem mi promisim long  Jehovah front long pipol bilong hem.”—Ps. 116:12, 14.

11. Wanem nao happen long datfala day wea iu baptaes?

¹¹ Waswe, iu dedicatem laef bilong iu long Jehovah finis and iu baptaes? Sapos iu duim olsem, datwan hem barava gud! Tingim taem brata wea givim baptism tok hem askem iu disfala kwestin, “Waswe, iu savve wei wea iu dedicate and baptaes hem showimaot iu wanfala Jehovah’s Witness wea waka tugeta witim organization bilong God wea spirit nao leadim?” Taem iu sei yes, evriwan wea hipap luksavve iu dedicatem laef bilong iu long Jehovah and iu fit for baptaes and kamap wanfala Witness bilong hem. Samting iu duim hem mekem Jehovah barava hapi!

12. (a) Olketa wanem kwestin nao hem gud for iumi ting raonem? (b) Olketa wanem wei nao Peter encouragem iumi for garem?

¹² Taem iu baptaes iu promis long Jehovah bae iu duim wanem hem laekem for full laef bilong iu and followim olketa standard bilong hem. Bat bihaen iumi baptaes iumi mas gohed faithful for duim wanem iumi promisim. So hem gud for iumi tingim olketa kwestin hia: ‘Waswe, bihaen mi baptaes, wei wea mi fren witim Jehovah hem gohed for kamap strong? Waswe, mi gohed for worshipim Jehovah long full heart bilong mi? (Col. 3:23)  Waswe, mi prea evritaem? Waswe, mi readim Bible evriday? Waswe, mi go long olketa meeting evritaem? Waswe, mi traem best for duim preaching waka evritaem? Or waswe, mi start for no interest for duim samfala samting hia?’ Aposol Peter storyim wanem iumi savve duim mekem iumi no wikdaon. Hem encouragem iumi for traem best for garem strongfala faith, garem savve, no givap, and for faithful long God.—Readim 2 Peter 1:5-8.

13. Wanfala Christian wea dedicate and baptaes finis mas tingim wanem samting?

¹³ Bihaen iumi dedicatem laef bilong iumi long Jehovah, iumi no savve sei disison bilong iumi hem no stret. Samwan wea taed for duim wanem Jehovah laekem no savve sei promis wea hem mekem long Jehovah hem wanfala mistek. * Sapos samwan wea dedicate finis long Jehovah hem duim bigfala sin, hem mas storyim datwan long olketa elder and hem bae givim ansa long Jehovah for samting wea hem duim. (Rome 14:12) Iumi no laek for olsem olketa wea Jesus sei long olketa: “Love wea iu garem long firstaem hem nomoa nao.” Bat iumi laekem hem for sei olsem long iumi: “Mi savve long olketa samting wea iu duim. Mi savve long love, faith, and ministry bilong iu. Iu no givap, and olketa samting wea iu duim distaem hem winim bifor.” (Rev. 2:4, 19) Iumi laekem Jehovah for hapi long iumi from iumi duim wanem iumi promisim taem iumi dedicate.

14. Wanem nao nara important promis wea samwan savve mekem, and why nao hem important?

¹⁴ Promis wea samwan mekem taem hem marit, hem tu wanfala important promis. Marit hem wanfala holy samting. Long tingting bilong Jehovah, promis wea tufala wea marit mekem hem wanfala serious samting. Taem boy and gele marit, tufala mekem promis front long Jehovah, and tu, front long olketa wea hipap. Tufala promis for lovem, lukaftarem, and showimaot respect long each other “for fitim law bilong God long Bible for olketa Christian [hasband and waef], for full laef bilong tufala long disfala earth fitim wanem God markem for olketa wea marit.” Olketa narawan wea marit maet no barava talem olketa toktok hia, nomata olsem, olketa mekem promis front long God. Taem tufala mekem datfala promis, tufala kamap hasband and waef and tufala shud stap tugeta for olowe. (Gen. 2:24; 1 Cor. 7:39) Jesus sei: “No eni man mas aotem samting wea God joinim finis.” Tufala wea marit shud no tingse sapos tufala no hapi long each other tufala savve divorce.—Mark 10:9.

15. Why nao olketa Christian shud no garem sem tingting olsem pipol long world abaotem marit?

¹⁵ From iumi no perfect, no eni marit hem perfect. Dastawe Bible sei olketa wea marit “bae kasem hard taem long laef bilong olketa.” (1 Cor. 7:28) Staka pipol distaem no tinghae long marit. Olketa tingse sapos problem kamap insaed long marit, olketa savve finisim datfala marit. Bat olketa Christian no garem kaen tingting olsem. Olketa luksavve olketa mekem promis front long God. Sapos tufala no duim wanem tufala promisim, datwan hem olsem tufala laea long God, and God heitim olketa wea laea. (Lev. 19:12; Prov. 6:16-19) Olketa Christian wea marit shud tingim toktok bilong aposol Paul, wea sei: “Sapos iu maritim wanfala woman finis, iu no trae for lusim hem.” (1 Cor. 7:27) Paul talem diswan bikos hem savve Jehovah hem heitim wei for divorce.—Mal. 2:13-16.

16. Wanem nao Bible talem abaotem wei for divorce and for separate?

 ¹⁶ Bible storyim wanfala reason nomoa hem stap for tufala wea marit savve divorce. Hem nao sapos wanfala long tufala hem durong, and marit partner bilong hem disaed for no forgivim hem. (Matt. 19:9; Heb. 13:4) Waswe long wei for separate? Bible talem klia tingting bilong Jehovah abaotem diswan. (Readim 1 Corinth 7:10, 11.) Bible sei hasband and waef shud no separate. Bat samfala taem samfala samting maet happen wea mekem wanfala Christian disaed hem mas separate from hasband or waef bilong hem. Olsem example, maet samfala disaed for separate sapos laef bilong olketa stap long danger, or marit partner hem apostate and stopem hem for worshipim Jehovah. *

17. Wanem nao hasband and waef savve duim for strongim marit bilong tufala?

¹⁷ Sapos hasband and waef garem samfala problem and tufala go askem olketa elder for advaes, maet olketa savve talem tufala hao hem gud for lukim disfala video What Is True Love? and for studyim disfala brochure Famili Bilong Iu Savve Hapi. Datfala video and brochure mekhae long olketa Bible principle wea savve helpem tufala for strongim marit bilong tufala. Wanfala hasband and waef sei: “From mitufala studyim datfala brochure, datwan helpem mitufala for hapi.” Wanfala sista wea marit for 22 year sei hem and hasband bilong hem klosap finisim marit bilong tufala. Then hem lukim datfala video. Hem sei: “Mitufala evriwan baptaes bat mitufala no hapi, bat datfala video barava helpem mi! Marit bilong mitufala hem kamap gud distaem.” Tru nao, sapos hasband and waef followim olketa Bible principle, olketa bae hapi and datwan savve strongim marit bilong tufala.

18, 19. (a) Wanem samting nao staka Christian dadi and mami duim? (b) Storyim samting wea olketa wea insaed long spesol full-taem service olketa duim.

¹⁸ Iumi storyim finis wanem Jephthah and Hannah promisim long Jehovah. From datwan, dota bilong Jephthah and son bilong Hannah, duim spesol waka for Jehovah. Staka Christian dadi and mami encouragem pikinini bilong olketa for duim full-taem service and for iusim laef bilong olketa for duim waka bilong Jehovah. And iumi evriwan savve encouragem olketa young wan hia for gohed duim wanem Jehovah laekem.—Judg. 11:40; Ps. 110:3.

¹⁹ Distaem, samting olsem 67,000 brata and sista nao duim spesol full-taem service. Samfala waka long Bethel, duim construction waka, or traveling waka. Olketa narawan teach long olketa theocratic skul, samfala duim spesol pioneer waka, missionary waka, and samfala lukaftarem olketa Assembly Hall or olketa building for Bible skul. Evriwan hia saenem form wea olketa kolem long “Vow of Obedience and Poverty.” Olketa promis for waka hard long eni assignment wea olketa kasem, for garem simpol laef, and olketa shud no duim eni waka for selen. Olketa waka wea olketa brata and sista hia duim nao hem spesol. Olketa hambol and laek faithful for duim wanem olketa promisim taem olketa duim spesol full-taem service.

20. Hao nao iumi shud ting long olketa samting wea iumi promisim long God, and why nao olsem?

²⁰ Long disfala study iumi storyim thrifala samting wea iumi savve promisim long God. Maet iu mekem finis samfala long olketa promis hia. Iumi savve iumi mas duim wanem iumi promisim. (Prov. 20:25) Sapos iumi no duim wanem iumi promisim long Jehovah bae hem no hapi long iumi. (Eccl. 5:6) So iumi laek for olsem man wea raetem psalm wea sei long Jehovah: “Bae mi singsing for praisem nem bilong iu for olowe. Evriday bae mi duim wanem mi promisim long iu.”—Ps. 61:8.