Numbers 5-6 - Prayer Tents

Purity in Israel’s Camp

5The LORD gave these instructions to Moses.H3068H1696H4872H559 2"Command the people of Israel to remove from the camp anyone who has a skin disease or a discharge, or who has become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person.H6680H1121H3478H7971H4264H6879H2100H2931H5315 3This command applies to men and women alike. Remove them so they will not defile the camp in which I live among them."H2145H5347H7971H2351H4264H7971H2930H4264H8432H834H7931 4So the Israelites did as the LORD had commanded Moses and removed such people from the camp.H1121H3478H6213H7971H2351H4264H3068H1696H4872H6213H1121H3478 5Then the LORD said to Moses,H3068H1696H4872H559 6"Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people—men or women—betray the LORD by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty.H1696H1121H3478H376H802H6213H2403H120H4603H4604H3068H5315H816 7They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged.H3034H2403H6213H7725H817H7218H3254H2549H5414H816 8But if the person who was wronged is dead, and there are no near relatives to whom restitution can be made, the payment belongs to the LORD and must be given to the priest. Those who are guilty must also bring a ram as a sacrifice, and they will be purified and made right with the LORD.H376H1350H7725H817H817H7725H3068H3548H352H3725H3722 9All the sacred offerings that the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him.H8641H6944H1121H3478H7126H3548 10Each priest may keep all the sacred donations that he receives."H376H6944H376H5414H3548

Protecting Marital Faithfulness

11And the LORD said to Moses,H3068H1696H4872H559 12"Give the following instructions to the people of Israel."Suppose a man's wife goes astray, and she is unfaithful to her husbandH1696H1121H3478H559H376H376H802H7847H4603H4604 13and has sex with another man, but neither her husband nor anyone else knows about it. She has defiled herself, even though there was no witness and she was not caught in the act.H376H7901H7902H2233H5956H5869H376H5641H2930H5707H8610 14If her husband becomes jealous and is suspicious of his wife and needs to know whether or not she has defiled herself,H7307H7068H5674H7065H802H2930H7307H7068H5674H7065H802H2930 15the husband must bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring an offering of two quarts of barley flour to be presented on her behalf. Do not mix it with olive oil or frankincense, for it is a jealousy offering—an offering to prove whether or not she is guilty.H376H935H802H3548H935H7133H6224H374H8184H7058H3332H8081H5414H3828H4503H7068H4503H2146H2142H5771H2142 16"The priest will then present her to stand trial before the LORD.H3548H7126H5975H6440H3068 17He must take some holy water in a clay jar and pour into it dust he has taken from the Tabernacle floor.H3548H3947H6918H4325H2789H3627H6083H7172H4908H3548H3947H5414H4325 18When the priest has presented the woman before the LORD, he must unbind her hair and place in her hands the offering of proof—the jealousy offering to determine whether her husband's suspicions are justified. The priest will stand before her, holding the jar of bitter water that brings a curse to those who are guilty.H3548H5975H802H6440H3068H6544H802H7218H5414H4503H2146H3709H7068H4503H3548H3027H4751H4325H779 19The priest will then put the woman under oath and say to her, 'If no other man has had sex with you, and you have not gone astray and defiled yourself while under your husband's authority, may you be immune from the effects of this bitter water that brings on the curse.H3548H7650H559H802H376H7901H7847H2932H376H5352H4751H4325H779 20But if you have gone astray by being unfaithful to your husband, and have defiled yourself by having sex with another man—'H7847H376H2930H376H5414H7903H1107H376 21"At this point the priest must put the woman under oath by saying, 'May the people know that the LORD's curse is upon you when he makes you infertile, causing your womb to shrivel and your abdomen to swell.H3548H7650H802H7621H423H3548H559H802H3068H5414H423H7621H8432H5971H3068H5414H3409H5307H990H6639 22Now may this water that brings the curse enter your body and cause your abdomen to swell and your womb to shrivel.' And the woman will be required to say, 'Yes, let it be so.'H4325H779H935H4578H990H6638H3409H5307H802H559H543H543 23And the priest will write these curses on a piece of leather and wash them off into the bitter water.H3548H3789H423H5612H4229H4751H4325 24He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings on the curse. When the water enters her body, it will cause bitter suffering if she is guilty.H802H8248H4751H4325H779H4325H779H935H4751 25"The priest will take the jealousy offering from the woman's hand, lift it up before the LORD, and carry it to the altar.H3548H3947H7068H4503H802H3027H5130H4503H6440H3068H7126H4196 26He will take a handful of the flour as a token portion and burn it on the altar, and he will require the woman to drink the water.H3548H7061H4503H234H6999H4196H310H802H8248H4325 27If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings on the curse will cause bitter suffering. Her abdomen will swell and her womb will shrink, and her name will become a curse among her people.H8248H4325H2930H4603H4604H376H4325H779H935H4751H990H6638H3409H5307H802H423H7130H5971 28But if she has not defiled herself and is pure, then she will be unharmed and will still be able to have children.H802H2930H2889H5352H2232H2233 29"This is the ritual law for dealing with suspicion. If a woman goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband's authority,H8451H7068H802H7847H376H2930 30or if a man becomes jealous and is suspicious that his wife has been unfaithful, the husband must present his wife before the LORD, and the priest will apply this entire ritual law to her.H7307H7068H5674H376H7065H802H5975H802H6440H3068H3548H6213H8451 31The husband will be innocent of any guilt in this matter, but his wife will be held accountable for her sin."H376H5352H5771H1931H802H5375H5771

Nazirite Laws

6Then the LORD said to Moses, "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.H3068H1696H4872H5592"If any of the people, either men or women, take the special vow of a Nazirite, setting themselves apart to the LORD in a special way,H1696H1121H3478H559H376H802H6381H5087H5088H5139H5144H30683they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks, they must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins.H5144H3196H7941H8354H2558H3196H2558H7941H8354H4952H6025H398H3892H6025H30024As long as they are bound by their Nazirite vow, they are not allowed to eat or drink anything that comes from a grapevine—not even the grape seeds or skins.H3117H5145H398H6213H3196H1612H2785H20855"They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the LORD. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long.H3117H5088H5145H8593H5674H7218H3117H4390H5144H3068H6918H6545H8181H7218H14316And they must not go near a dead body during the entire period of their vow to the LORD.H3117H5144H3068H935H4191H53157Even if the dead person is their own father, mother, brother, or sister, they must not defile themselves, for the hair on their head is the symbol of their separation to God.H2930H1H517H251H269H4194H5145H430H72188This requirement applies as long as they are set apart to the LORD.H3117H5145H6918H30689"If someone falls dead beside them, the hair they have dedicated will be defiled. They must wait for seven days and then shave their heads. Then they will be cleansed from their defilement.H4191H4191H6621H6597H2930H7218H5145H1548H7218H3117H2893H7637H3117H154810On the eighth day they must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.H8066H3117H935H8147H8449H8147H1121H3123H3548H6607H168H415011The priest will offer one of the birds for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way, he will purify them from the guilt they incurred through contact with the dead body. Then they must reaffirm their commitment and let their hair begin to grow again.H3548H6213H259H2403H259H5930H3722H834H2398H5315H6942H7218H311712The days of their vow that were completed before their defilement no longer count. They must rededicate themselves to the LORD as a Nazirite for the full term of their vow, and each must bring a one-year-old male lamb for a guilt offering.H5144H3068H3117H5145H935H3532H1121H8141H817H3117H7223H5307H5145H293013"This is the ritual law for Nazirites. At the conclusion of their time of separation as Nazirites, they must each go to the entrance of the TabernacleH8451H5139H3117H3117H5145H4390H935H6607H168H415014and offer their sacrifices to the LORD: a one-year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a one-year-old female lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a peace offering,H7126H7133H3068H259H3532H1121H8141H8549H5930H259H3535H1323H8141H8549H2403H259H352H8549H800215a basket of bread made without yeast—cakes of choice flour mixed with olive oil and wafers spread with olive oil—along with their prescribed grain offerings and liquid offerings.H5536H4682H2471H5560H1101H8081H7550H4682H4886H8081H4503H526216The priest will present these offerings before the LORD: first the sin offering and the burnt offering;H3548H7126H6440H3068H6213H2403H593017then the ram for a peace offering, along with the basket of bread made without yeast. The priest must also present the prescribed grain offering and liquid offering to the LORD.H6213H352H2077H8002H3068H5536H4682H3548H6213H4503H526218"Then the Nazirites will shave their heads at the entrance of the Tabernacle. They will take the hair that had been dedicated and place it on the fire beneath the peace-offering sacrifice.H5139H1548H7218H5145H6607H168H4150H3947H8181H7218H5145H5414H784H2077H800219After the Nazirite's head has been shaved, the priest will take for each of them the boiled shoulder of the ram, and he will take from the basket a cake and a wafer made without yeast. He will put them all into the Nazirite's hands.H3548H3947H1311H2220H352H259H4682H2471H5536H259H4682H7550H5414H3709H5139H310H5145H154820Then the priest will lift them up as a special offering before the LORD. These are holy portions for the priest, along with the breast of the special offering and the thigh of the sacred offering that are lifted up before the LORD. After this ceremony the Nazirites may again drink wine.H3548H5130H8573H6440H3068H6944H3548H8573H2373H8641H7785H310H5139H8354H319621"This is the ritual law of the Nazirites, who vow to bring these offerings to the LORD. They may also bring additional offerings if they can afford it. And they must be careful to do whatever they vowed when they set themselves apart as Nazirites."H8451H5139H5087H7133H3068H5145H3027H5381H6310H5088H5087H6213H8451H5145

The Priestly Blessing

22Then the LORD said to Moses,H3068H1696H4872H55923"Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing.H1696H175H1121H559H3541H1288H1121H3478H55924'May the LORD bless you and protect you.H3068H1288H810425May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.H3068H6440H215H260326May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.'H3068H5375H6440H7760H796527Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them."H7760H8034H1121H3478H1288