Numbers 5:21-23
New King James Version
21 then the priest shall (A)put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman—(B)“the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh [a]rot and your belly swell; 22 and may this water that causes the curse (C)go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.”
‘(D)Then the woman shall say, “Amen, so be it.”
23 ‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 5:21 Lit. fall away
Numbers 5:21-23
New International Version
21 here the priest is to put the woman under this curse(A)—“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(B) that brings a curse(C) enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries.”
“‘Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it.(D)”
23 “‘The priest is to write these curses on a scroll(E) and then wash them off into the bitter water.
Footnotes
- 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.
Numbers 5:21-23
English Standard Version
21 then’ (let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman) (A)‘the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. 22 May this water that brings the curse (B)pass into your bowels and make your womb swell and your thigh fall away.’ And the woman shall say, (C)‘Amen, Amen.’
23 “Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness.
Read full chapter
Numbers 5:21-23
New American Standard Bible
21 (then the priest shall have the woman (A)swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman), “may the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people by the Lord’s making your thigh [a]shriveled and your [b]belly swollen; 22 and this water that brings a curse shall go into your [c]stomach, to make your belly swell up and your thigh [d]shrivel.” And the woman (B)shall say, “Amen, Amen.”
23 ‘The priest shall then write these curses on a scroll, and he shall [e]wash them off into the water of bitterness.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 5:21 Lit collapsed
- Numbers 5:21 Possibly the womb, and so throughout the ch
- Numbers 5:22 Or inward parts
- Numbers 5:22 Lit collapse
- Numbers 5:23 Lit wipe
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.



