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People with a Bad Skin Disease

The Lord said to Moses, “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. Send away both male and female. Send them away from the tents so they will not make the place sinful where I live among them.” The people of Israel did so. They sent them away from the tents. The people of Israel did just as the Lord had said to Moses.

Paying Back for Wrongs Done

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘When a man or woman sins the way that man sins by not acting in faith toward the Lord, and that person is guilty, then he must tell about the sins he has done. He must pay in full for his wrong-doing, and add one-fifth part to it, and give it to the one he has sinned against. But if the man has no brother to whom pay for the wrong can be made, then it must go to the Lord for the religious leader. He must also give a ram to pay for his sins. And his sins will be forgiven. Every gift of all the holy things of the Israelites which they bring to the religious leader will become his. 10 So every man’s holy gifts will be his. Whatever any man gives to the religious leader will be his.’”

Wives Who Are Not Faithful

11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “Say to the people of Israel, ‘If a man’s wife turns away and is not faithful to him, 13 and another man has sex with her and it is hidden from her husband’s eyes, even if it is hidden, she will be unclean. And even if no one speaks against her, because she has not been caught in the act, 14 but a spirit of jealousy comes over her husband, he will be jealous of his wife when she has made herself unclean. Or if he becomes jealous of his wife when she has done nothing to make herself unclean, 15 then the man must bring his wife to the religious leader. He must bring one-tenth part of a basket of barley as the gift needed for her. He must not pour oil on it. He must not put special perfume on it. For it is a grain gift of jealousy. It is a grain gift to make the sin remembered.

16 ‘Then the religious leader will bring her near and have her stand before the Lord. 17 The religious leader will take holy water in a clay pot. He will take some of the dust on the floor of the meeting tent and put it into the water. 18 Then the religious leader will have the woman stand before the Lord and let the hair of the woman’s head hang loose. He will put the grain gift of remembering into her hands. It is the grain gift of jealousy. In the religious leader’s hand will be the bitter water that can bring a curse to the woman. 19 Then the religious leader will have her make a promise. He will say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you and if you have not turned away into sin, while under the power of your husband, this bitter water that brings punishment will not hurt you. 20 If you have turned away, while under the power of your husband, and have made yourself unclean by having another man who is not your husband,” 21 then the religious leader will have the woman make a promise so she will be punished if she has sinned. He will say to the woman, “May the Lord make you a curse among your people. May the Lord make your leg waste away and your stomach grow bigger. 22 This water that brings a curse will go into your stomach and make it grow bigger and your leg to waste away.” And the woman will say, “Let it be so. Let it be so.”

23 ‘Then the religious leader will write these curses in a book. And he will wash them off into the bitter water. 24 He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse. The water that brings a curse will go into her and give her pain. 25 The religious leader will take the grain gift of jealousy from the woman’s hand. He will wave the grain gift before the Lord and bring it to the altar. 26 The religious leader will fill his hand with the grain gift, as the part to be remembered. And he will burn it on the altar. Then he will make the woman drink the water. 27 If she has not been faithful to her husband, the water that brings a curse will go into her and give her pain. Her stomach will get larger and her leg will become as dead. A curse will come upon the woman among her people. 28 But if the woman has not sinned and is clean, she will be free and able to have children.

29 ‘This is the law of jealousy. If a wife who is under the power of her husband turns away and makes herself unclean, 30 and a spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, making him jealous of his wife, then he must make the woman stand before the Lord. And the religious leader will do to her all the rules of this Law. 31 The husband will be free from guilt. But the woman will carry her guilt.’”

Прогонване на нечистите от стана

(A)И Господ каза на Мойсей: (B)„Заповядай на израилтяните да изведат вън от стана всички прокажени, всички, които имат течение, и всички, които са се осквернили от мъртвец; и мъже, и жени изведете, вън от стана ги изведете, за да не оскверняват становете, в които Аз живея сред вас.“ Израилтяните така и направиха, и ги изведоха вън от стана; както каза Господ на Мойсей, така и направиха израилтяните.

Приноси за светилището при очистване. Ревност и подозрение в изневяра

И Господ каза още на Мойсей: (C)„Ако израилтянин, мъж или жена, като човек стори какъвто и да е грях и извърши престъпление против Господа, и този човек стане виновен, нека изповяда греха, който е сторил, да върне онова, за което е виновен, и като прибави към него една пета част, да го даде на онзи, пред когото се е провинил. Ако пък този човек няма сродник, на когото да се върне за вината, то да се посвети на Господа; нека то бъде за свещеника заедно с овена за очистването, чрез който той ще го очисти. Всеки принос от всички осветени дарове на израилтяните, които те донасят на свещеника, нека принадлежи на него; 10 посветеното от когото и да е нека принадлежи на него; всичко, което някой даде на свещеника, нека принадлежи на него.“

11 И Господ рече на Мойсей: 12 „Кажи така на израилтяните: ‘Ако жената на някого изневери и наруши верността си към него, 13 и някой преспи с нея и излее семе, и това остане скрито за мъжа ѝ, и тя се оскверни тайно, без да има свидетел против нея и без да бъде изобличена, 14 а мъжът ѝ, обзет от ревност, започне да ревнува жена си, когато тя е осквернена, или обзет от ревност, започне да ревнува жена си, когато тя не е осквернена, 15 тогава той нека доведе жена си при свещеника и да принесе за нея в жертва една десета от ефа ечемичено брашно; но с елей да не го полива, нито да слага отгоре ливан, защото това е принос за ревност, принос за спомен, който напомня за беззаконие.

16 А свещеникът да я заведе и изправи пред Господа; 17 той трябва да вземе свята вода в глинен съд, да вземе и пръст от пода на скинията и да я сложи във водата. 18 Свещеникът да я изправи пред Господа, като открие главата ѝ, а върху ръцете ѝ да постави приноса за спомен – това е принос за ревност; свещеникът да държи в ръце горчивата вода, която носи проклятие. 19 Тогава свещеникът да я закълне, като каже на жената: «Ако никой не е преспал с тебе и ти не си се осквернила и не си изневерила на мъжа си, нека не ти навреди тази горчива вода, която носи проклятие; 20 но ако ти си изневерила на мъжа си и си се осквернила, и ако някой друг освен мъжа ти е преспал с тебе», 21 тогава свещеникът да закълне жената с клетвата на проклятието и да ѝ каже: «Нека Господ те предаде на проклятие и клетва сред твоя народ и да даде Господ утробата ти да изсъхне и коремът ти да се подуе; 22 нека тази вода, която носи проклятие, проникне в тебе и коремът ти да се надуе, и утробата ти да изсъхне.» И жената да отвърне: «Амин, амин.»

23 И свещеникът да напише тези клетви на книга и да ги заличи с горчивата вода. 24 После да даде на жената да изпие горчивата вода, която носи проклятие, така че водата, която носи проклятие, да проникне в нея и да ѝ причини горчива болка. 25 И свещеникът да вземе от ръцете на жената приноса за ревност, да издигне този принос пред Господа и да го принесе на жертвеника. 26 Тогава свещеникът да вземе една шепа от хлебния принос за спомен, да го изгори на жертвеника и след това да даде на жената да изпие водата. 27 И когато ѝ даде да изпие водата, тогава, ако е осквернена и е нарушила верността си към своя мъж, горчивата вода, която носи проклятие, ще проникне в нея и ще ѝ причини горчива болка; коремът ѝ ще се подуе и утробата ѝ ще изсъхне; и тази жена ще бъде предадена на проклятие сред народа си. 28 Но ако жената не се е осквернила и е останала чиста, водата няма да ѝ стори нищо и тя ще може да ражда деца.’

29 Такъв е законът за ревността: когато жена изневери на мъжа си и се оскверни 30 или когато мъжът, обзет от ревност, започне да ревнува жена си, тогава нека той я изправи пред Господа, а свещеникът да извърши над нея всичко според този закон. 31 Така мъжът няма да има вина, а жената ще понесе вината си.“

Ceremonially Unclean Persons Isolated(A)

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “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. You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps (E)in the midst of which I dwell.” And the children of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.

Confession and Restitution(F)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel: (G)‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord, and that person is guilty, (H)then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass (I)in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged. But if the man has no [b]relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for the wrong must go to the Lord for the priest, in addition to (J)the ram of the atonement with which atonement is made for him. Every (K)offering[c] of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be (L)his. 10 And every man’s [d]holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest shall be (M)his.’ ”

Concerning Unfaithful Wives

11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him, 13 and a man (N)lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and it is concealed that she has defiled herself, and there was no witness against her, nor was she (O)caught— 14 if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes (P)jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself— 15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall (Q)bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for (R)bringing iniquity to remembrance.

16 ‘And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord. 17 The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18 Then the priest shall stand the woman before the (S)Lord, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. 20 But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you”— 21 then the priest shall (T)put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman—(U)“the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh [e]rot and your belly swell; 22 and may this water that causes the curse (V)go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.”

(W)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. 24 And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter. 25 (X)Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, shall (Y)wave the offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar; 26 and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, (Z)as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water. 27 When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a (AA)curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman (AB)will become a curse among her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children.

29 ‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, (AC)goes astray and defiles herself, 30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, and he becomes jealous of his wife; then he shall stand the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute all this law upon her. 31 Then the man shall be free from [f]iniquity, but that woman (AD)shall bear her [g]guilt.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 5:2 by contact with
  2. Numbers 5:8 redeemer, Heb. goel
  3. Numbers 5:9 heave offering
  4. Numbers 5:10 consecrated
  5. Numbers 5:21 Lit. fall away
  6. Numbers 5:31 guilt
  7. Numbers 5:31 iniquity

Purity in the Camp

Adonai spoke to Moses saying, “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. Whether male or female, you are to send them outside the camp so as not to defile the camp where I am dwelling among them.” This Bnei-Yisrael did, sending them outside the camp. Just as Adonai spoke to Moses, so Bnei-Yisrael did.

Adonai spoke to Moses saying, “Say to Bnei-Yisrael: Whenever a man or woman commits any sins against any person, thus breaking faith with Adonai, that soul bears guilt. That person is to confess the sin he has committed, make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it to the one he wronged. [a] But if that person has no close relative to whom to pay the restitution, the restitution belongs to Adonai. It is to be given to the kohen along with the ram of atonement with which he is to make atonement for him.

“Every contribution from all the sacred things that Bnei-Yisrael brings to the kohen will belong to him. 10 Each one’s sacred holy gifts are his own, but whatever each man gives to the kohen belongs to that kohen.”

Jealousy Ritual

11 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 12 “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael and say to them: Suppose some man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, 13 and another man has sexual relations with her, but it is hidden from her husband’s eyes and her impurity is not detected. Yet there was no witness against her and she was not caught in the act. 14 Then a spirit of jealousy overcomes him and he is suspicious of his wife, when she is impure. Or a spirit of jealousy overcomes him and he suspects his wife, yet she is not impure.

15 “Then he should take his wife to the kohen. He must also bring a tenth of an ephah of barley flour as an offering for her. He is not to pour oil or put incense on it, because it is an offering for jealousy, a reminder offering drawing attention to guiltiness.

16 “The kohen is to bring her near and have her stand before Adonai. 17 Then the kohen is to take some holy water in a clay jar and take some dust from the floor of the Tabernacle and put it into the water. 18 Then the kohen will have the woman stand before Adonai, loosen the woman’s hair, put into her hands the reminder offering, the offering for jealousy, while in the kohen’s own hands are the bitter waters that bring a curse. 19 Then the kohen will have her swear under oath, then say to the woman, ‘If no man other than your husband has slept with you, and if you have not gone astray into impurity from your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. 20 If, however, you have gone astray from your husband and if you became impure and had sexual relations with a man other than your husband’— 21 Then the kohen is to have the woman swear under this oath of a curse, and say to the woman—‘then let Adonai cause you to be cursed and denounced among your people when Adonai causes your thigh to rot and your belly to swell. 22 “May this water which brings a curse enter your body and cause your belly to swell and your thigh to rot.’

“The woman is to say, ‘Amen, amen!’

23 “Then the kohen is to write these curses on a scroll and wash them into the waters of bitterness. 24 The kohen will then have the woman drink the bitter water bearing curses, so that the water of the curses of bitterness enters her. 25 The kohen is to take the jealousy offering from the woman’s hand, wave the offering before Adonai and bring it to the altar. 26 The kohen is to take a handful of the grain offering and burn it up in smoke on the altar as a memorial offering. The kohen will then have the woman drink the water.

27 “When she is made to drink the water that carries the curse, if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, it will enter her and cause bitterness—her abdomen will swell and her thigh will waste away. She will be accursed among her people. 28 If, however, the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, she will be free from guilt and be able to have children.

29 “This is the Torah regarding jealousy, when a woman goes astray from her husband and defiles herself, 30 or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he jealously suspects his wife. The kohen is to have her stand before Adonai and apply this entire Torah to her. 31 The husband will be free of guilt, but that woman will bear her guilt.”

The Purity of the Camp

The Lord said to Moses, “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) Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.(E) The Israelites did so; they sent them outside the camp. They did just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

Restitution for Wrongs

The Lord said to Moses, “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) 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. 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) 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