20 But if thou hast turned from thine husband, and so art defiled, and some man hath lain with thee besides thine husband,

21 (Then the Priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the Priest shall say unto the woman:) The Lord make thee to be [a]accursed, and detestable for the oath among the people, and the Lord cause thy thigh to [b]rot, and thy belly to swell:

22 And that this cursed water may go into thy bowels, to cause thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot. Then the woman shall answer, [c]Amen, Amen.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 5:21 Both because she had committed so heinous a fault, and forsware herself in denying the same.
  2. Numbers 5:21 Hebrew, to fall.
  3. Numbers 5:22 That is, be it so, as thou wishest, as Ps. 41:23; Deut. 27:15.

20 But if you have gone astray(A) 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(B)—“may the Lord cause you to become a curse[a] among your people when he makes your womb miscarry and your abdomen swell. 22 May this water(C) that brings a curse(D) enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries.”

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

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 5:21 That is, may he cause your name to be used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, may others see that you are cursed; similarly in verse 27.