<p class="bodytext">Then he uttered this oracle:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;O, who will survive when God does this!<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;Then the priest will write these curses on a scroll and then scrape them off into the bitter water.<n id="1" />

He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness.

<p class="bodytext">These are the waters of Meribah, because the Israelites contended with the <sc>Lordsc>, and his holiness was maintained<n id="1" /> among them.p>

And God came to Balaam and said, &#8220;Who are these men with you?&#8221;

<p class="poetry">They crouch and lie down like a lion,p> <p class="poetry">and as a lioness,<n id="1" /> who can stir him?p> <p class="poetry">Blessed is the one who blesses you,p> <p class="poetry">and cursed is the one who curses you!&#8217;&#8221;p>

And do this<n id="1" /> to them to purify them: Sprinkle water of purification<n id="2" /> on them; then have them shave<n id="3" /> all their body<n id="4" /> and wash<n id="5" /> their clothes, and so purify themselves.<n id="6" />

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">Now the mixed multitude<n id="2" /> who were among them craved more desirable foods,<n id="3" /> and so the Israelites wept again<n id="4" /> and said, &#8220;If only we had meat to eat!<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;So this will be a perpetual ordinance for them: The one who sprinkles<n id="1" /> the water of purification must wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Let us<n id="1" /> pass through your land;<n id="2" /> we will not turn aside into the fields or into the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well, but we will go along the King&#8217;s Highway until we pass your borders.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">Who<n id="1" /> can count<n id="2" /> the dust<n id="3" /> of Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">Or number<n id="4" /> the fourth part of Israel?p> <p class="poetry">Let me<n id="5" /> die the death of the upright,<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">and let the end of my life<n id="7" /> be like theirs.&#8221;<n id="8" />p>

For<n id="1" /> in the wilderness of Zin when the community rebelled against me, you<n id="2" /> rebelled against my command<n id="3" /> to show me as holy<n id="4" /> before their eyes over the water &#8211; the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.&#8221;p>

Then the priest will have the woman stand before the <sc>Lordsc>, uncover the woman&#8217;s head, and put the grain offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of suspicion. The priest will hold in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;And say to the people, &#8216;Sanctify yourselves<n id="1" /> for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing<n id="2" /> of the <sc>Lordsc>, saying, &#8220;Who will give us meat to eat,<n id="3" /> for life<n id="4" /> was good for us in Egypt?&#8221; Therefore the <sc>Lordsc> will give you meat, and you will eat.

Anyone who touches the corpse of any dead person and does not purify himself defiles the tabernacle of the <sc>Lordsc>. And that person must be cut off from Israel,<n id="1" /> because the water of purification was not sprinkled on him. He will be unclean; his uncleanness remains on him.p>

But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person must be cut off from among the community, because he has polluted the sanctuary of the <sc>Lordsc>; the water of purification was not sprinkled on him, so he is unclean.p>

Please let us pass through<n id="1" /> your country. We will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well. We will go by the King&#8217;s Highway;<n id="2" /> we will not turn to the right or the left until we have passed through your region.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>