Numbers 5

1 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate, or command] to Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed], word study 2 “Command [give orders to, instruct] the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] to send away [expel, depart] from the camp [army, group of people] anyone with a skin disease [leprosy, afflicted with tzaraath], anyone who has a bodily discharge [issue, flow], and anyone who is defiled [unclean, tainted] by a dead body [corpse, soul]. word study 3 You must send away [expel, cast out] male [male or masculine] and female [woman or feminine] alike; send them [to depart, to go out] outside [beyond the boundary] the camp [the Israelites’ encampments] so they will not [to absence or negation] defile [to be foul or contaminated] their camp [the group of people], where [in the midst] I [the first person singular] dwell [to live or stay] among them [in their midst, among the people].” word study 4 So the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] did this, sending [expelling, putting out] such people [those who were unclean] outside [beyond the boundaries of] the camp [encampment, army]. They did just as [in accordance with, obeying] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] had instructed [spoken to, commanded] Moses [the leader, prophet]. word study 5 And the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] said [to speak, to communicate] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant], word study 6 “Tell the Israelites [children of the covenant] that when a man [male person, individual] or woman [female, wife] acts unfaithfully [commits a trespass, is treacherous] against the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] by committing any sin [transgressing, doing wrong] against another [a neighbor, fellow human], that person [soul, living being] is guilty [accountable, deserving punishment, having done wrong] word study 7 and must confess [openly acknowledge, admit guilt] the sin [transgression, fault] he has committed [done, made]. He must make full restitution [pay back, restore], add a fifth [one-fifth, 20 percent] to its value, and give all this to the one he has wronged [trespassed against, sinned against]. word study 8 But if the man [has no kinsman or relative] has no relative [to recompense the trespass unto] to whom restitution [or payment for the wrong] can be made for the wrong [or guilt], the restitution [belongs to the Lord as a guilt offering] belongs to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and must be given to the priest [who serves God and leads others in worship] along with the ram [a strong male sheep] of atonement [or the means of making things right with God], by which [through the sacrifice] the atonement [or the act of covering and forgiving sin] is made for him [to cover his sin and restore his relationship with God]. word study 9 Every [all, everything] sacred [holy, set-apart] contribution [offering, gift] the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] bring [present, offer] to the priest [spiritual leader, mediator] shall belong [be given, become the property of] to him. word study 10 Each man’s [hallowed, set apart] sacred gifts [holy things, offerings] are his own, but whatever [that which, anything] he gives [offers, presents] to the priest [spiritual leader, mediator] will belong to the priest [become his possession, be his to keep].” word study 11 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, communicate, or command] to Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed], word study 12 “Speak [to communicate, declare] to the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] and tell [say, command] them that if any man’s [a husband’s, a male person’s] wife [woman, female partner] goes astray [turns aside, commits a trespass] and is unfaithful [commits a trespasse, acts treacherously] to him word study 13 by sleeping with [intimately knowing, having carnal relations with] another man [a male person, an individual], and it is concealed [hidden, kept secret] from her husband [her spouse, the one she is married to] and her impurity [moral or ceremonial defilement, uncleanness] is undetected [not discovered, unexposed] (since there is no witness [no one to testify, no evidence] against her and she was not caught [taken, seized] in the act [in the very act of sinning]), word study 14 and if a feeling of [intense, passionate] jealousy [a spirit of suspicion, rivalry] comes over her husband and he suspects [doubts, is uncertain about] his wife who has [morally or ceremonially] defiled herself [made herself unclean, impure]—or if a feeling of jealousy [a sense of envy, possessiveness] comes over him and he suspects her even though she has not [in a moral or ceremonial sense] defiled herself [remained pure, faithful]— word study 15 then he is to bring his wife [the woman, his female partner] to the priest [the spiritual leader, mediator between God and man]. He must also bring for her an offering [a gift, a sacrifice] of a tenth [one tenth, a tithe] of an ephah [a unit of measurement, about 9 gallons] of barley flour [ground grain, food for the poor]. He is not to pour oil [olive oil, ointment] over it or put frankincense [a white resin, used for incense] on it, because it is a grain offering [a gift of food, a memorial] for jealousy [strong feelings of envy, spiritual passion], an offering of memorial [a reminder, a remembrance] as a reminder [to recall, to mark] of iniquity [moral evil, sin]. word study 16 The priest [a spiritual leader, the Levitical priest] is to bring the wife [the woman, his spouse] forward and have her stand [to present herself, to be stationed] before [in the presence of, facing] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God, the divine Sovereign]. word study 17 Then he is to take [get, receive] some holy [set apart, sacred] water [a liquid, a source of refreshment] in a clay [earthenware] jar and put [place, deposit] some of the dust [dry earth, powder] from the tabernacle [a special tent, a portable place of worship] floor [the ground, the base] into the water [a spring or watercourse]. word study 18 After the priest [the spiritual leader, mediator] has the woman [the female, wife] stand [to stand in a strong sense, with purpose] before the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], he is to let down [to loosen, uncover] her hair [the woman’s head] and place in her hands [to give, put] the grain offering [a gift, sacrifice] of memorial [a reminder, remembrance], which is the grain offering [a gift, sacrifice] for jealousy [strong feelings of envy, possessiveness]. The priest [the spiritual leader, mediator] is to hold [to have, possess] the bitter [unpleasant] water [a liquid] that brings a curse [to execrate, wish harm]. word study 19 And he is to put the woman [under a solemn oath, to swear] under oath and say to her, ‘If no other man [has lain with you, been intimate with you] has slept with you and you have not gone astray [to uncleanness, turned aside from your husband] and become defiled [made unclean, morally impure] while under your husband’s authority [as his wife, in his care], may you be immune [free from harm, untouched] to this bitter [unpleasant, painful] water that brings a curse [execration, a wish for harm]. word study 20 But if you [as a wife, under your husband’s authority] have gone astray [turned aside, deviated from duty] while under your husband’s authority and have defiled [become foul, morally contaminated] yourself and lain carnally [engaged in copulation, intimate relations] with a man [a male person, an individual] other than [beside, except] your husband’— word study 21 and the priest [a spiritual leader, mediator] shall have the woman [a female person, wife] swear [make a solemn promise, vow] under the oath [a promise or vow, often with serious consequences] of the curse [a divine judgment, punishment]—‘then may the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] make you an attested curse [a confirmed and evident judgment] among your people [a nation, community] by making your thigh [the side of the body] shrivel [fall away, become weak] and your belly [the womb, seat of emotions] swell [become enlarged, increase]. word study 22 May this water [that causeth the curse, bringing a divine judgment] that brings a curse [to execrate or wish harm upon someone] enter your stomach [belly, internal organs] and cause your belly [womb, seat of emotions] to swell [to grow, prepare for battle] and your thigh to shrivel [to fall, waste away, rot].’ Then the woman [female person, wife] is to say, ‘Amen [something is true or faithful, a promise or statement of fact], Amen [a confirmation of truth].’ word study 23 And the priest [the spiritual leader, mediator] shall write [record, inscribe] these [specific, solemn] curses [oaths, promises with consequences] on a scroll [book, written document] and wash them off [wipe, blot out] into the bitter [unpleasant, painful] water [a spring or watercourse]. word study 24 He is to have the woman [female person, wife] drink the bitter [tasting bad, unpleasant] water [liquid, source of refreshment] that brings a curse [execration, wish of harm], and it will enter her and cause her bitter [emotional pain, discomfort] suffering [pain, distress]. word study 25 The priest [the spiritual leader, mediator] shall take [receive, get] from her hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] the grain offering [meal-offering, gift] for jealousy [strong feelings of envy, spiritual passion], wave [shake, move back and forth] it before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and bring [present, approach] it to the altar [place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God]. word study 26 Then the priest [the spiritual leader, mediator] is to take a handful [grasp, scoop up] of the grain offering [meal-offering, gift to God] as a memorial portion [reminder, tribute] and burn it [make perfume, offer as a sacrifice] on the altar [place of sacrifice, worship]; after that [subsequently, afterwards] he is to have the woman [the female, wife] drink the water [the bitter waters]. word study 27 When he has made her drink the water [causing her to ingest it], if she has defiled [made herself unclean, become foul] herself and been unfaithful [acted treacherously, committed a trespass] to her husband, then the water [source of refreshment, liquid] that brings a curse [execration, a wish of harm] will enter her and cause bitter [painful, unpleasant] suffering; her belly [womb, seat of emotions] will swell [grow, become enlarged], her thigh [side] will shrivel [fall away, become weak], and she will become accursed [a curse, an object of execration] among her people [nation, community]. word study 28 But if the woman [has not been unfaithful, is innocent] has not defiled [made herself foul, contaminated] herself and is clean [pure, ceremonially clean], she will be unaffected [free, cleared] and able to conceive [have offspring, bear seed] children [seed, descendants]. word study 29 This [specific, particular] is the law [instruction, guiding principle] of jealousy [strong feelings of envy or romantic passion] when a wife [woman, female partner] goes astray [turns aside, deviates from duty] and defiles [becomes foul, contaminated] herself while under [in a state of submission to] her husband’s [man, male partner] authority [leadership, guidance], word study 30 or when a feeling of [intense, passionate] jealousy [a spirit of rivalry, envy] comes over a husband [man, male spouse] and he suspects [is jealous of, has doubts about] his wife [woman, female partner]. He is to have the woman [wife, female] stand [present herself, be positioned] before the LORD [Yehovah, God Almighty], and the priest [spiritual leader, mediator] is to apply [execute, carry out] to her this entire [all, complete] law [instruction, divine guidance]. word study 31 The husband [man, male person] will be free [acquitted, blameless] from guilt [iniquity, moral evil], but the woman [wife, female person] shall bear [lift, carry] her iniquity [sin, moral wrongdoing].” word study