King James Version

Numbers 5:23

And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:

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Hebrew

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וְ֠כָתַבvekhatavand describeכָּתַבconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and describe”, a completed action in a sequenceH3789to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe)describe, record, prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הָאָלֹ֥תhaalotthe curseאָלָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “the curse”, the ordinary formH423an imprecationcurse, cursing, execration, oath, swearing.הָאֵ֛לֶּהhaelehthe theseאֵלֶּהdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “the these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).הַכֹּהֵ֖ןhakohenthe priestכֹּהֵןdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the priest”, the ordinary formH3548literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer.בַּסֵּ֑פֶרbaseferin bookסֵפֶרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in book”, the ordinary formH5612properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a bookbill, book, evidence, [idiom] learn(-ed) (-ing), letter, register, scroll.וּמָחָ֖הumachahand reach untoמָחָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and reach unto”, a completed action in a sequenceH4229properly, to stroke or rub; by implication, to erase; also to smooth (as if with oil), i.e. grease or make fat; also to touch, i.e. reach toabolish, blot out, destroy, full of marrow, put out, reach unto, [idiom] utterly, wipe (away, out).אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).מֵ֥יmewaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “water”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).הַמָּרִֽיםhamarimthe bitterמַרdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “the bitter”, the ordinary formH4751bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly[phrase] angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, [idiom] great, heavy.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the priest shall write these curses in a scroll, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness:

Young’s Literal Translation

'And the priest hath written these execrations in a book, and hath blotted [them] out with the bitter waters,

World English Bible

“‘The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall wipe them into the water of bitterness.

Darby Translation

And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and shall blot them out with the bitter water,

Douay-Rheims

And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and shall wash them out with the most bitter waters, upon which he hath heaped the curses,

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the priest shall write these curses in a scroll, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and shall blot them out with the water of the conviction that brings the curse.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ γράψει ὁ ἱερεὺς τὰς ἀρὰς ταύτας εἰς βιβλίον, καὶ ἐξαλείψει εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦ ἐλεγμοῦ τοῦ ἐπικαταρωμένου.