18. He will force the woman to stand before the Lord. Then he will loosen her hair and put the grain offering in her hand. This is the barley flour that her husband gave because he was jealous. At the same time, he will hold the clay jar of special water. This is the special water that can bring trouble to the woman.
19. “Then the priest will make the woman promise to tell the truth and say to her: ‘If you have not slept with another man, and if you have not sinned against your husband while you were married to him, then this water that causes trouble will not hurt you.
20. But if you have sinned against your husband—if you had sexual relations with a man who is not your husband—then you are not pure.
21. If that is true, you will have much trouble when you drink this special water. You will not be able to have any children. And if you are pregnant now, your baby will die. And the Lord will cause your people to speak evil of you and curse you.’ “Then the priest must tell the woman to make an oath. She must agree for the Lord to cause these things to happen to her if she lies.
22. The priest must say, ‘You must drink this water that causes trouble. If you have sinned, you will not be able to have children. Any baby you have will die before it is born.’ And the woman should say, ‘I agree to do as you say.’
23. “The priest should write these warnings on a scroll. Then he should wash the words off into the water.
24. Then the woman must drink the water that brings trouble. This water will enter her and, if she is guilty, it will cause her much suffering.
25. “Then the priest will take the grain offering from her (the offering for jealousy) and raise it before the Lord. Then he will carry it to the altar.
26. The priest will fill his hands with some of the grain and put it on the altar and let it burn there. After that he will tell the woman to drink the water.
27. If the woman has sinned against her husband, the water will bring her trouble. The water will go into her body and cause her much suffering. Any baby that is in her will die before it is born, and she will never be able to have children. All the people will turn against her.
28. But if the woman has not sinned against her husband and she is pure, the priest will say that she is not guilty. Then she will be normal and able to have children.
29. “So this is the law about jealousy. This is what you should do when a woman sins against her husband while she is married to him.
30. Or if the man becomes jealous and thinks his wife has sinned against him, this is what the man should do. The priest must tell her to stand before the Lord. Then the priest will do all these things. This is the law.