The Purity of the Camp

5 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has a defiling skin disease^[a](A) or a discharge^(B) of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean^(C) because of a dead body.^{(D) 3} Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.^(E)” ⁴ The Israelites did so; they sent them outside the camp. They did just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

Restitution for Wrongs

⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ⁶ “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way^[b] and so is unfaithful^(F) to the Lord is guilty^{(G) 7} and must confess^(H) the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution^(I) for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged. ⁸ But if that person has no close relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belongs to the Lord and must be given to the priest, along with the ram^(J) with which atonement is made for the wrongdoer.^{(K) 9} All the sacred contributions the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him.^{(L) 10} Sacred things belong to their owners, but what they give to the priest will belong to the priest.^(M)’”

The Test for an Unfaithful Wife

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man’s wife goes astray^(N) and is unfaithful to him ¹³ so that another man has sexual relations with her,^(O) and this is hidden from her husband and her impurity is undetected (since there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act), ¹⁴ and if feelings of jealousy^(P) come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is impure—or if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure— ¹⁵ then he is to take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of a tenth of an ephah^[c](Q) of barley flour^(R) on her behalf. He must not pour olive oil on it or put incense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy,^(S) a reminder-offering^(T) to draw attention to wrongdoing.

¹⁶ “‘The priest shall bring her and have her stand before the Lord. ¹⁷ Then he shall take some holy water in a clay jar and put some dust from the tabernacle floor into the water. ¹⁸ After the priest has had the woman stand before the Lord, he shall loosen her hair^(U) and place in her hands the reminder-offering, the grain offering for jealousy,^(V) while he himself holds the bitter water that brings a curse.^{(W) 19} Then the priest shall put the woman under oath and say to her, “If no other man has had sexual relations with you and you have not gone astray^(X) and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse^(Y) not harm you. ²⁰ But if you have gone astray^(Z) while married to your husband and you have made yourself impure by having sexual relations with a man other than your husband”— ²¹ here the priest is to put the woman under this curse^(AA)—“may the Lord cause you to become a curse^[d] among your people when he makes your womb miscarry and your abdomen swell. ²² May this water^(AB) that brings a curse^(AC) enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries.”

“‘Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it.^(AD)”

²³ “‘The priest is to write these curses on a scroll^(AE) and then wash them off into the bitter water. ²⁴ He shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and this water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering will enter her. ²⁵ The priest is to take from her hands the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the Lord^(AF) and bring it to the altar. ²⁶ The priest is then to take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial^[e] offering^(AG) and burn it on the altar; after that, he is to have the woman drink the water. ²⁷ If she has made herself impure and been unfaithful to her husband, this will be the result: When she is made to drink the water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering, it will enter her, her abdomen will swell and her womb will miscarry, and she will become a curse.^{(AH) 28} If, however, the woman has not made herself impure, but is clean, she will be cleared of guilt and will be able to have children.

²⁹ “‘This, then, is the law of jealousy when a woman goes astray^(AI) and makes herself impure while married to her husband, ³⁰ or when feelings of jealousy^(AJ) come over a man because he suspects his wife. The priest is to have her stand before the Lord and is to apply this entire law to her. ³¹ The husband will be innocent of any wrongdoing, but the woman will bear the consequences^(AK) of her sin.’”

Psalm 85^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 Paul, Silas^[a](A) and Timothy,^(B)

To the church of the Thessalonians^(C) in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you.^(D)

Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith

² We always thank God for all of you^(E) and continually mention you in our prayers.^{(F) 3} We remember before our God and Father^(G) your work produced by faith,^(H) your labor prompted by love,^(I) and your endurance inspired by hope^(J) in our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ For we know, brothers and sisters^[b] loved by God,^(K) that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel^(L) came to you not simply with words but also with power,^(M) with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know^(N) how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us^(O) and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering^(P) with the joy^(Q) given by the Holy Spirit.^{(R) 7} And so you became a model^(S) to all the believers in Macedonia^(T) and Achaia.^{(U) 8} The Lord’s message^(V) rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.^(W) Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹ for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned^(X) to God from idols^(Y) to serve the living and true God,^{(Z) 10} and to wait for his Son from heaven,^(AA) whom he raised from the dead^(AB)—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.^(AC)

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

2 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you^(AD) was not without results.^{(AE) 2} We had previously suffered^(AF) and been treated outrageously in Philippi,^(AG) as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.^{(AH) 3} For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives,^(AI) nor are we trying to trick you.^{(AJ) 4} On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.^(AK) We are not trying to please people^(AL) but God, who tests our hearts.^{(AM) 5} You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed^(AN)—God is our witness.^{(AO) 6} We were not looking for praise from people,^(AP) not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles^(AQ) of Christ we could have asserted our authority.^{(AR) 7} Instead, we were like young children^[c] among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,^{(AS) 8} so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God^(AT) but our lives as well.^{(AU) 9} Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked^(AV) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone^(AW) while we preached the gospel of God to you. ¹⁰ You are witnesses,^(AX) and so is God,^(AY) of how holy,^(AZ) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹ For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,^{(BA) 12} encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy^(BB) of God, who calls^(BC) you into his kingdom and glory.

¹³ And we also thank God continually^(BD) because, when you received the word of God,^(BE) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators^(BF) of God’s churches in Judea,^(BG) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people^(BH) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus^(BI) and the prophets^(BJ) and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone ¹⁶ in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles^(BK) so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.^(BL) The wrath of God has come upon them at last.^[d]

Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

¹⁷ But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),^(BM) out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.^{(BN) 18} For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan^(BO) blocked our way.^{(BP) 19} For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown^(BQ) in which we will glory^(BR) in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?^(BS) Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory^(BT) and joy.