UST NUM Chapter 5

◄ NUM 5 ► ║ ©

5 Yahweh told Moses, 2 “Some people among the Israelites have skin diseases, are discharging bodily fluids from their genitals, or are impure because they touched a dead body. Order the Israelites to remove those people from the campground. 3 Whether they are male or female, you shall certainly remove those people from the campground. That way, they do not make the campground impure. That matters because I am present with the Israelites in the campground.” 4 Then the Israelites did exactly what Yahweh ordered Moses to do. They removed those people from the campground. 5 Yahweh told Moses, 6 “Tell the Israelites that any person, whether man or woman, might sin against another person. When a person does that, he or she is not being loyal to Yahweh. So, that person is guilty. 7 That person must admit how he or she sinned. Then, that person must pay the one against whom he or she sinned the full cost of what he or she did plus one fifth of the full cost. 8 Suppose that the person who should receive the full cost has died and has no close relatives to receive the full cost instead. In that case, the person who sinned must pay the full cost to Yahweh by paying it to the priest. That is in addition to the ram which he or she must give to the priest. The priest will offer that ram to remove that person’s sin. 9 Whenever the Israelites bring any special and sacred contribution to the priest, that contribution belongs to the priest. 10 Indeed, whenever any person brings a sacred contribution to the priest, that contribution belongs to the priest.” 11 Yahweh told Moses, 12 “Tell the Israelites that a man’s wife might stop being loyal to him. 13 Another man might have sex with her, and so she becomes impure. However, her husband does not know this, and no one else knows either. No one can prove what she did. 14 Despite that, her husband might become suspicious that another man has had sex with her, whether she has actually become impure in that way or not. 15 In that case, the husband must take his wife to the priest. He must also take about two liters of barley flour to present to the priest on her behalf. He presents this grain offering because he is suspicious of his wife and because he wants to know whether she has done what is wrong. So, he must not put olive oil or incense on the barley flour. 16 Then the priest must lead her to the sacred tent and make her stand in front of Yahweh. 17 The priest must fill a clay container with sacred water and then put some dust from the ground inside the sacred tent into that water. 18 The priest must make the woman stand in front of Yahweh, let her hair down, and have her hold the grain offering. Her husband presents this grain offering because he wants to know whether his wife has done what is wrong and because he is suspicious of her. The priest must hold the clay container with the water. Yahweh will use this water to curse the wife who has done what is wrong and make bad things happen to her. 19 The priest must have the woman take an oath. Then, he must tell her, ‘Suppose that another man has not had sex with you and that you have been loyal to your husband and have not become impure. In that case, Yahweh will not use this water to curse you and make bad things happen to you. 20 However, suppose that you have not been loyal to your husband and have become impure. Suppose that a man who is not your husband has had sex with you.’ 21 Then the priest must have the woman speak the cursing words that go with the oath. Then he must say to her, ‘In that case, Yahweh will make you experience what the cursing words that go with the oath indicate. All your fellow Israelites will know this when Yahweh makes your genitals and womb sick. 22 Yahweh will use this water to curse you when you drink it. It will make your genitals and womb sick.’ Then the woman must say, ‘May it be so.’ 23 The priest must write down the cursing words on a scroll. Then, he must wash the ink into the water which Yahweh will use to make bad things happen to her. 24 Then, he must have the woman drink the water that Yahweh will use to curse the wife who has done what is wrong and make bad things happen to her. She must swallow it. 25 The priest must take from the woman the grain offering that her husband presented because he was suspicious of her. He must hold up this grain offering in Yahweh’s presence and take it to the altar. 26 The priest must scoop out a handful from the grain offering and burn it on the altar in a way that causes smoke to go up. After that, he must have the woman drink the water. 27 Suppose that the woman became impure and was not loyal to her husband. In that case, when the priest has her drink the water that Yahweh will use to curse the wife who has done what is wrong and make bad things happen to her, her genitals and womb will become sick. She will experience what the cursing words indicated, and all her fellow Israelites will know. 28 However, suppose that she did not become impure. In that case, she is pure, and none of these bad things will happen to her. She will be able to bear children. 29 These instructions apply when a husband is suspicious of his wife. Specifically, they apply when a wife is not loyal to her husband and becomes impure 30 or when a husband becomes suspicious that another man has had sex with with his wife. Then, the husband must make his wife stand in Yahweh‘s presence, and the priest must do to her everything that these instructions require. 31 Then, Yahweh will not punish any husband who brings his wife to the priest in this way, but Yahweh will punish any wife who has done what is wrong.’ ”

◄ NUM 5 ► ║ ©

NUM C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31 C32 C33 C34 C35 C36