Liber Numeri 5
1 locutusque est Dominus ad Mosen dicens
Yahweh said to Moses/me,
2 praecipe filiis Israhel ut eiciant 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 eicite de castris ne contaminent ea cum habitaverim 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 Israhel et eiecerunt eos extra castra sicut locutus erat Dominus Mosi
So [Moses/I told that to the Israeli people, and] the Israeli people obeyed what Yahweh commanded Moses/me.
5 locutus est Dominus ad Mosen dicens
Yahweh also told Moses/me,
6 loquere ad filios Israhel vir sive mulier cum fecerint ex omnibus peccatis quae solent hominibus accidere et per neglegentiam 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 primitiae quas offerunt filii Israhel ad sacerdotem pertinent
All the sacred offerings that the Israelis bring to the priest belong to the priest.
10 et quicquid in sanctuarium offertur a singulis et traditur manibus sacerdotis ipsius erit
The priest can keep those gifts.’”
11 locutus est Dominus ad Mosen dicens
Yahweh also said this to Moses/me:
12 loquere ad filios Israhel et dices ad eos vir cuius 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 zelotypiae concitaverit virum contra uxorem suam quae 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 farinae hordiaciae non fundet super eam oleum nec inponet tus quia sacrificium zelotypiae 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 adsumetque aquam sanctam in vase fictili et pauxillum terrae 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 discoperiet caput eius et ponet super manus illius sacrificium recordationis et oblationem zelotypiae 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 adiurabitque eam et dicet si non dormivit vir alienus tecum et si non polluta es deserto mariti toro non te nocebunt aquae istae amarissimae 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
But if you have had sex with another man, [Yahweh will curse you].
21 his maledictionibus subiacebis det te Dominus in maledictionem exemplumque cunctorum in populo suo putrescere faciat femur tuum et tumens uterus 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 aquae maledictae 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 eius sacrificium zelotypiae et elevabit illud coram Domino inponetque 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 aquae maledictionis et inflato ventre conputrescet 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 zelotypiae 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 zelotypiae spiritu concitatus adduxerit eam in conspectu Domini et fecerit ei sacerdos iuxta omnia quae 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.’”
