Numbers 5:21

¹⁹ And he is to put the woman under oath and say to her, ‘If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, may you be immune to this bitter water that brings a curse.

²⁰ But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority and have defiled yourself and lain carnally with a man other than your husband’—

and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse—‘then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell.

²² May this water that brings a curse enter your stomach and cause your belly to swell and your thigh to shrivel.’ Then the woman is to say, ‘Amen, Amen.’

²³ And the priest shall write these curses on a scroll and wash them off into the bitter water.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse—‘then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell.
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;
WEB: then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “May the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD allows your thigh to fall away, and your body 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;
DARBY: then the priest shall adjure the woman 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 shrink, and thy belly to swell;
BLB: then the priest shall put the woman under the curse of the oath—and the priest shall say to the woman, ‘YHWH will make you an oath and a curse in the midst of your people, when YHWH makes your thigh to rot and your belly to swell.

ÅB: - nå skal presten lese opp forbannelses-eden for kvinnen og si til henne: - så gjøre Herren deg til en forbannelse og til en ed blant ditt folk; han la dine hofter svinne inn og din buk hovne opp;
OTB: da skal presten la kvinnen sverge en ed av forbannelse, og han skal si til henne: "må Herren gjøre deg til en forbannelse blant ditt folk når han får din livmor til å abortere og din mage til å svulme.
B1930: - nu skal presten lese op forbannelses-eden for kvinnen og si til henne: - så gjøre Herren dig til en forbannelse og til en ed blandt ditt folk; han la dine hofter svinne inn og din buk hovne op;

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Nehemiah 10:29
hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.
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1 Samuel 14:24
Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food.
Read in context
Joshua 6:26
At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”
Read in context
Jeremiah 29:22
Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’
Read in context
Proverbs 10:7
The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
Read in context
Matthew 26:74
At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
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2 Chronicles 21:15
And day after day you yourself will suffer from a severe illness, a disease of your bowels, until it causes your bowels to come out.’”
Read in context
Isaiah 65:15
You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name.
Read in context