Liber Numeri 5
1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
Yahweh said to Moses/me,
2 Præcipe filiis Israël, ut ejiciant de castris omnem leprosum, et qui semine fluit, pollutusque est super mortuo:
“Tell this to the Israeli people: ‘You must send away from your (camp/area where you have your tents) any man or woman who has leprosy and anyone who has a discharge [of some fluid from his body], and anyone who has become unacceptable to God because of [having touched] a corpse.
3 tam masculum quam feminam ejicite de castris, ne contaminent ea cum habitaverint vobiscum.
Send them away from there in order that they will not [touch people in the camp area] where I live among you and cause them to become unacceptable to me.’”
4 Feceruntque ita filii Israël, et ejecerunt eos extra castra, sicut locutus erat Dominus Moysi.
So [Moses/I told that to the Israeli people, and] the Israeli people obeyed what Yahweh commanded Moses/me.
5 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
Yahweh also told Moses/me,
6 Loquere ad filios Israël: Vir, sive mulier, cum fecerint ex omnibus peccatis, quæ solent hominibus accidere, et per negligentiam transgressi fuerint mandatum Domini, atque deliquerint,
“Tell this to the Israeli people: ‘If someone (commits a crime against/does something wrong to) another person, [I consider that] that person has done wrong to me.
7 confitebuntur peccatum suum, et reddent ipsum caput, quintamque partem desuper, ei in quem peccaverint.
That person must confess that he or she is guilty, and he or she must pay to the person to whom wrong was done [what others consider to be a suitable/proper payment] for what he has done, and he must pay an extra 20 percent.
8 Sin autem non fuerit qui recipiat, dabunt Domino, et erit sacerdotis, excepto ariete, qui offertur pro expiatione, ut sit placabilis hostia.
If the person against whom the wrong was done [has died and] there is no relative to whom the money can be paid, then the money belongs to me, and it must be paid to the priest. In addition, the one who did the wrong must give a male sheep to the priest [to sacrifice] in order that (that person’s sin may be forgiven/I can forgive that person for his sin).
9 Omnes quoque primitiæ, quas offerunt filii Israël, ad sacerdotem pertinent:
All the sacred offerings that the Israelis bring to the priest belong to the priest.
10 et quidquid in sanctuarium offertur a singulis, et traditur manibus sacerdotis, ipsius erit.
The priest can keep those gifts.’”
11 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
Yahweh also said this to Moses/me:
12 Loquere ad filios Israël, et dices ad eos: Vir cujus uxor erraverit, maritumque contemnens
“Tell this to the Israeli people: ‘Suppose a man thinks that his wife has slept with another man,
13 dormierit cum altero viro, et hoc maritus deprehendere non quiverit, sed latet adulterium, et testibus argui non potest, quia non est inventa in stupro:
but neither he nor anyone else knows if it is true or not, because no one saw her doing that.
14 si spiritus zelotypiæ concitaverit virum contra uxorem suam, quæ vel polluta est, vel falsa suspicione appetitur:
But if the woman’s husband is jealous, and if he suspects that she has committed adultery, and he wants to know whether that is true or not,
15 adducet eam ad sacerdotem, et offeret oblationem pro illa, decimam partem sati farinæ hordeaceæ: non fundet super eam oleum, nec imponet thus: quia sacrificium zelotypiæ est, et oblatio investigans adulterium.
he should take his wife to the priest. He must take along as an offering two quarts/liters of barley flour. The priest must not pour [olive] oil or incense on it, because this is an offering that the man has brought because he (is jealous/wants his wife to sleep only with him). It is an offering to find out if she is guilty or not. [Neither olive oil nor incense should be used because are associated with joy and this is not a time for joy.]
16 Offeret igitur eam sacerdos, et statuet coram Domino,
The priest must tell the woman to stand [in front of the altar] in my presence.
17 assumetque aquam sanctam in vase fictili, et pauxillum terræ de pavimento tabernaculi mittet in eam.
He must put some sacred water in a clay jar, and then he must put some dirt from the floor of the Sacred Tent into the water.
18 Cumque steterit mulier in conspectu Domini, discooperiet caput ejus, et ponet super manus illius sacrificium recordationis, et oblationem zelotypiæ: ipse autem tenebit aquas amarissimas, in quibus cum execratione maledicta congessit.
He must untie/unfasten the woman’s hair. Then he must put in her hands the grain that her jealous husband is offering to determine whether she has committed adultery or not. The priest must hold [the bowl that contains] bitter water that will cause (the woman to be cursed/bad things to happen to the woman) [if she is guilty].
19 Adjurabitque eam, et dicet: Si non dormivit vir alienus tecum, et si non polluta es deserto mariti thoro, non te nocebunt aquæ istæ amarissimæ, in quas maledicta congessi.
The priest must require her to solemnly declare [that she will tell the truth]. Then he must say to her, “Has another man had sex [EUP] with you? Have you faithfully [slept only with your husband] or not? If you have not slept with another man, nothing bad will happen to you if you drink the water.
20 Sin autem declinasti a viro tuo, atque polluta es, et concubuisti cum altero viro:
But if you have had sex with another man, [Yahweh will curse you].
21 his maledictionibus subjacebis: det te Dominus in maledictionem, exemplumque cunctorum in populo suo: putrescere faciat femur tuum, et tumens uterus tuus disrumpatur.
Your womb will shrivel up and your stomach will swell up. You will never be able to give birth to children, and as a result, everyone will curse you and avoid you. If you have committed adultery, [when you drink] this water, that is what will happen to you.” Then the woman must answer, “[If I am guilty], I will not object if that happens.”
22 Ingrediantur aquæ maledictæ in ventrem tuum, et utero tumescente putrescat femur. Et respondebit mulier: Amen, amen.
23 Scribetque sacerdos in libello ista maledicta, et delebit ea aquis amarissimis, in quas maledicta congessit,
‘Then the priest must write [with ink] on a small scroll these (curses/bad things that will happen to her if she is guilty) [and then wash the ink off into the bitter water].
24 et dabit ei bibere. Quas cum exhauserit,
The priest must take from her the offering of barley flour [that she is holding], and lift it up to dedicate it to me. Then he must put it on the altar
25 tollet sacerdos de manu ejus sacrificium zelotypiæ, et elevabit illud coram Domino, imponetque illud super altare, ita dumtaxat ut prius:
26 pugillum sacrificii tollat de eo, quod offertur, et incendat super altare: et sic potum det mulieri aquas amarissimas.
and burn part of it as a sacrifice. Then the woman must drink the bitter water.
27 Quas cum biberit, si polluta est, et contempto viro adulterii rea, pertransibunt eam aquæ maledictionis, et inflato ventre, computrescet femur: eritque mulier in maledictionem, et in exemplum omni populo.
If the woman has committed adultery, the water will cause her to suffer greatly. Her stomach will swell up and her womb will shrink, [and she will be unable to give birth to children]. And then her (relatives/fellow Israelis) will curse her.
28 Quod si polluta non fuerit, erit innoxia, et faciet liberos.
But if she (is innocent/has not committed adultery), her body will not be harmed, and she will still be able to give birth to children.
29 Ista est lex zelotypiæ. Si declinaverit mulier a viro suo, et si polluta fuerit,
‘That is the ritual that must be performed when a woman who is married has been unfaithful to her husband,
30 maritusque zelotypiæ spiritu concitatus adduxerit eam in conspectu Domini, et fecerit ei sacerdos juxta omnia quæ scripta sunt:
or when a man is jealous and suspects that his wife [has had sex with another man]. The priest must tell that woman to stand [at the altar] in my presence and obey these instructions.
31 maritus absque culpa erit, et illa recipiet iniquitatem suam.
Even if the woman has not done what the husband suspected, he will not be punished [MTY] for doing something wrong [by bringing his wife to the priest]. But if his wife is guilty, she will suffer as a result.’”
