Old Testament · Law

Numbers chapter 5

Yahweh told Moses,“Tell the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a , anyone with a , and anyone who has become by contact with a dead body.Send them outside the camp — both men and women — so they don’t contaminate the camp .”The Israelites did exactly that — they sent them outside the camp, just as Yahweh had told Moses.Yahweh told Moses,“Tell the Israelites: when a man or woman — in the process — that person .They must what they’ve done, then pay back the full amount they owe plus an additional , giving it to the person they wronged.But if the wronged person has no who can receive the payment, the restitution goes to Yahweh — specifically to the priest — along with a ram for the that covers the guilty person’s offense.Every the Israelites bring to a priest out of is that priest’s to keep.Whatever anyone sets apart as dedicated — it’s theirs to give, but once they give it to the priest, it belongs to the priest.”Yahweh told Moses,“Tell the Israelites: suppose a man’s wife and —another man , but it’s hidden from her husband — she has secretly made herself , and there are no witnesses against her since she wasn’t caught in the act —and comes over her husband, making him suspicious of his wife — whether she actually made herself contaminated or not —then the husband must bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring a on her behalf: two quarts of . He must not pour olive oil on it or add frankincense, because this is a jealousy offering — .The priest will bring her forward and have her stand before Yahweh.The priest will take in a clay jar and mix in some dust from the floor of the .The priest will have the woman stand before Yahweh, , and place the memorial offering — the jealousy offering — in her hands. The priest will hold .The priest will put her under oath and say to her, ‘If no other man has slept with you and you haven’t gone astray and made yourself contaminated while , may this bitter water that carries a curse have no effect on you.But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority and made yourself contaminated — if some man other than your husband has slept with you’ —then the priest will put the woman under . He will say to her, ‘May Yahweh make you an example of a curse among your people — may Yahweh cause .May this water that carries a curse enter your body and cause your abdomen to swell and your thigh to waste away.’ And the woman will say, ‘’The priest will and then wash the writing off into the bitter water.He will have the woman drink the bitter water that carries the curse, and the water will enter her body to test her.The priest will take the jealousy offering from the woman’s hands, , and bring it to the altar.The priest will take a handful of the grain offering as and burn it on the altar. After that, he will have the woman drink the water.When he has her drink the water, this is what will happen: if she has made herself contaminated and been unfaithful to her husband, the water that carries the curse will enter her body and — her abdomen will swell and her thigh will waste away. She will become an example of a curse among her people.But if the woman has not made herself contaminated and , she will be cleared and .This is — when a wife goes astray while under her husband’s authority and makes herself contaminated,or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a husband and he becomes suspicious of his wife. He is to have her stand before Yahweh, and the priest will carry out this entire procedure with her.The husband will be in this matter, but the wife will .”