Numbers 5 - New International Version (NIV)

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.’”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 5:2 The Hebrew word for defiling skin disease, traditionally translated “leprosy,” was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  2. Numbers 5:6 Or woman who commits any wrong common to mankind
  3. Numbers 5:15 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  4. 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.
  5. Numbers 5:26 Or representative

Cross references

  1. Numbers 5:2 : S Lev 13:2
  2. Numbers 5:2 : S Lev 15:2; Mt 9:20
  3. Numbers 5:2 : Lev 13:3; Nu 9:6-10
  4. Numbers 5:2 : S Lev 21:11
  5. Numbers 5:3 : S Ex 29:45; Lev 26:12; 2Co 6:16
  6. Numbers 5:6 : S Lev 6:2
  7. Numbers 5:6 : Lev 5:14-6:7
  8. Numbers 5:7 : S Lev 5:5; S Lk 19:8
  9. Numbers 5:7 : S Lev 5:16
  10. Numbers 5:8 : S Lev 5:15
  11. Numbers 5:8 : Lev 6:6, 7
  12. Numbers 5:9 : Lev 6:17
  13. Numbers 5:10 : Lev 7:29-34
  14. Numbers 5:12 : ver 19-21; S Ex 20:14
  15. Numbers 5:13 : S Ex 20:14
  16. Numbers 5:14 : ver 30; Pr 6:34; 27:4; SS 8:6
  17. Numbers 5:15 : S Ex 16:36
  18. Numbers 5:15 : S Lev 6:20
  19. Numbers 5:15 : ver 18, 25
  20. Numbers 5:15 : Eze 21:23; 29:16
  21. Numbers 5:18 : S Lev 10:6; 1Co 11:6
  22. Numbers 5:18 : ver 15
  23. Numbers 5:18 : ver 19
  24. Numbers 5:19 : ver 12, 29
  25. Numbers 5:19 : ver 18
  26. Numbers 5:20 : ver 12
  27. Numbers 5:21 : Jos 6:26; 1Sa 14:24; Ne 10:29
  28. Numbers 5:22 : Ps 109:18
  29. Numbers 5:22 : ver 18
  30. Numbers 5:22 : Dt 27:15
  31. Numbers 5:23 : Jer 45:1
  32. Numbers 5:25 : Lev 8:27
  33. Numbers 5:26 : S Lev 2:2
  34. Numbers 5:27 : Isa 43:28; 65:15; Jer 26:6; 29:18; 42:18; 44:12, 22; Zec 8:13
  35. Numbers 5:29 : S ver 19
  36. Numbers 5:30 : S ver 14
  37. Numbers 5:31 : S Lev 5:1

You Might Also Like:

Numbers 5 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

5 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 2 `Command the sons of Israel, and they send out of the camp every leper, and every one with an issue, and every one defiled by a body; 3 from male unto female ye do send out; unto the outside of the camp ye do send them; and they defile not their camps in ...
Read More

Numbers 5 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

5 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said, 2 Command thou to the sons of Israel, that they cast out of the tents each leprous man, and that floweth out the seed, and that is defouled upon a dead body; (Command thou to the Israelites, that they throw out of the tents, that is, out of the camp, any pers...
Read More

Numbers 5 - World English Bible (WEB)

5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is unclean by a corpse. 3 You shall put both male and female outside of the camp so that they don’t defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwe...
Read More

Numbers 5 - The Voice (VOICE)

5 The Eternal One spoke to Moses. Now that the arrangement of the camp, the ordering of the families, and the organization of their defenses is complete, God begins sanctifying the people. Because this camp is a holy place—a place where God has chosen to dwell among His people—purity is an obvious c...
Read More

Numbers 5 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Purity in the Camp5 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 2 “Command Bnei-Yisrael to send out from the camp everyone with tza’arat, who has some kind of discharge, or any contaminated by a dead body. 3 Whether male or female, you are to send them outside the camp so as not to defile the camp where I am dw...
Read More

Numbers 5 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Unclean Persons5 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one having a discharge, and every one that is unclean through contact with the dead; 3 you shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may ...
Read More

Numbers 5 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Unclean Persons5 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one having a discharge, and every one that is unclean through contact with the dead; 3 you shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may ...
Read More

Numbers 5 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Unclean Persons5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Command the Israelites to put out of the camp everyone who is leprous,[a] or has a discharge, and everyone who is unclean through contact with a corpse; 3 you shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp; they must not defile...
Read More

Numbers 5 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Unclean Persons5 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the Israelites to put out of the camp everyone who has a defiling skin disease or a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with a corpse;(A)3 you shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp; they must n...
Read More

Numbers 5 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Purity in Israel’s Camp5 The Lord gave these instructions to Moses: 2 “Command the people of Israel to remove from the camp anyone who has a skin disease[a] or a discharge, or who has become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person. 3 This command applies to men and women alike. Remove them so...
Read More

Numbers 5 - New Life Version (NLV)

People with a Bad Skin Disease5 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to send away from the tents every person with a bad skin disease, every one with a flow that is unclean, and every one who is unclean because of a dead person. 3 Send away both male and female. Send them away from...
Read More

Numbers 5 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Ceremonially Unclean Persons Isolated(A)5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every (B)leper, everyone who has a (C)discharge, and whoever becomes (D)defiled [a]by a corpse. 3 You shall put out both male and female; you shall put the...
Read More

Numbers 5 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The purity of the camp5 The Lord said to Moses, 2 ‘Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has a defiling skin disease[a] or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body. 3 Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so that th...
Read More

Numbers 5 - New International Version (NIV)

The Purity of the Camp5 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 ...
Read More

Numbers 5 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Making the Camp Pure5 The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, 2 “Tell the Israelites that certain people must be sent away from the camp. Command them to send away anyone who has a skin disease. They must send away all those who have liquid waste coming from their bodies. And they must send away those wh...
Read More

Numbers 5 - New English Translation (NET)

Separation of the Unclean5 [a] Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Command the Israelites to expel[b] from the camp every leper,[c] everyone who has a discharge,[d] and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse.[e] 3 You must expel both men and women; you must put them outside the camp, so that[f] they wil...
Read More