Numbers 5:17-27

17 and let him take holy water in an erthen vessell and of the dust that is in ye flore of the habytacyon and put it in to the water.

18 And the preast shall set the wyfe before the Lorde and vncouer hir heed and put the memoryall of the offerynge in hyr handes whiche is the gelousye offerynge and ye preast shall haue bytter and cursynge water in his hande and he shall coniure her and shall saye vnto her.

19 Yf no man haue lyen wyth the nether haste gone asyde and defyled thy selfe behynde thy husbonde then haue thou no harme of this bytter cursynge water.

20 But and yf thou hast gone asyde behynde thyne husbonde and art defyled and some other man hath lyen with the besyde thyne husbonde

21 (and let the preaste coniure her with the coniuracyon of the curse and saye vnto her) the Lorde make the a curse and a coniuracyon amonge thy people: so that the Lorde make thy thye rotte and thy bely swell

22 and thys bytter cursynge water goo in to the bowels of the that thy bely swell and thy thye rotte and the wyfe shall saye Amen Amen.

23 And the preast shall wrytte this curse in a byll and wasshe it out in the bytter water.

24 And when the cursynge water ys yn her that it is bytter

25 then let the preast take the gelousy offerynge out of the wyfes hande and waue it before the Lorde and brynge it vnto the altare:

26 and he shall take an handefull off the memory all offerynge and burne it apon the alter and then make her dryncke the water

27 and when he hath made her drynke the water. Yf she be defyled and haue trespased agenst her husbond then shall the cursynge water goo in to her and be so bitter yt hir bely shall swell and hir thye shall rotte and she shalbe a curse amonge hir people.

Numbers 5:17-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 5

This chapter contains a repetition of some former laws, concerning putting unclean persons out of the camp, Nu 5:1-4; making restitution in case of trespass against another, Nu 5:5-8; and of giving the offering of all holy things and all hallowed things to the priests, Nu 5:9,10; and a new law concerning jealousy, in a man, of his wife, Nu 5:11-14; when she was to be brought to the priest, and various rites and ceremonies to be used, Nu 5:15-23; who was to give her bitter water as a trial of her chastity, which, if guilty, would have a strange effect upon her, and make her accursed, but if not, would not affect her, and she would be free and happy, Nu 5:24-31.