Numbers 5:21 bbe — Then the priest will put the oath of the curse on the woman, and say to her, May the Lord make you a curse and an oath…

Bible in Basic English

"Then the priest will put the oath of the curse on the woman, and say to her, May the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, sending on you wasting of the legs and disease of the stomach;"

— Numbers 5:21, Bible in Basic English

Read in Another Translation

5 of 21 translations

Numbers 5:21 in Other Translations

4 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;”

  • ASV

    “then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, Jehovah make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when Jehovah doth make thy thigh to fall away, and thy body to swell; ”

  • WEB

    “then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, "Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell;”

  • NET

    “Then the priest will put the woman under the oath of the curse and will say to her,“The LORD make you an attested curse among your people, if the LORD makes your thigh fall away and your abdomen swell;”

Numbers 5 — Context

18

And he will make the woman come before the Lord with her hair loose, and will put the meal offering, the offering of a bitter spirit, in her hands; and the priest will take in his hand the bitter water causing the curse;

19

And he will make her take an oath, and say to her, If no man has been your lover and you have not been with another in place of your husband, you are free from this bitter water causing the curse;

20

But if you have been with another in place of your husband and have made yourself unclean with a lover:

21

Then the priest will put the oath of the curse on the woman, and say to her, May the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, sending on you wasting of the legs and disease of the stomach;

22

And this water of the curse will go into your body, causing disease of your stomach and wasting of your legs: and the woman will say, So be it.

23

And the priest will put these curses in a book, washing out the writing with the bitter water;

24

And he will give to the woman the bitter water for drink; and the bitter water causing the curse will go into her.

Numbers 5:21 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Numbers 5:21 say?
Numbers 5:21 in the Bible in Basic English reads: “Then the priest will put the oath of the curse on the woman, and say to her, May the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, sending on you wasting of the legs and disease of the stomach;”
Where is Numbers 5:21 in the Bible?
Numbers 5:21 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Numbers, chapter 5, verse 21.
Who wrote Numbers?
Numbers is traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional). It was written c. 1446–1406 BC.
What is the book of Numbers about?
Numbers records Israel's forty years of wilderness wandering — two censuses (hence the name), rebellions, the failure at Kadesh-Barnea, and the slow journey to the plains of Moab. It is a sober portrait of human unbelief and God's patient faithfulness across a generation.
What are the major themes of Numbers?
Numbers explores themes including Wilderness, Faithfulness, Rebellion, Guidance, Provision. These themes shape the meaning and context of Numbers 5:21.
What translation should I read Numbers 5:21 in?
Numbers 5:21 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Numbers 5:21?
Numbers 5:21 reads (BBE): “Then the priest will put the oath of the curse on the woman, and say to her, May the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, sending on you wasting of the legs and disease of the stomach;” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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