וְאַתָּ֣ה ׀ תִּשְׁמַ֣ע הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ וְשָׁפַטְתָּ֣ אֶת־עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ לְהַרְשִׁ֣יעַ רָשָׁ֔ע לָתֵ֥ת דַּרְכּ֖וֹ בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וּלְהַצְדִּ֣יק צַדִּ֔יק לָ֥תֶת ל֖וֹ כְּצִדְקָתֽוֹ׃ (ס)
maka dengarkanlah dari langit, bertindaklah, dan hakimilah hamba-hamba-Mu: nyatakanlah bersalah orang yang fasik dengan menimpakan perbuatannya ke atas kepalanya sendiri, dan nyatakanlah benar orang yang benar dengan memberinya balasan sesuai dengan kebenarannya.
Tosefta Sotah
[If the suspected adulteress says that she is pure,] they bring her up to the Eastern Gate, to the Gate of Nicanor, which is where they give the suspected adulteress [the bitter waters] to drink, and [where] they purify women after childbirth, and purify lepers, as it is said (1 Kings 8:31-32), "Whenever a man sins against his neighbor [... and he brings it before Your Altar in this House], You shall hear, O Heavens, and take action and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked to bring down his conduct upon his head" -- [this refers to] (Num. 5:27): "Her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall fall." "And to vindicate the righteous, to bestow upon him according to his righteousness" (1 Kings 8:32) -- [this refers to] (Num. 5:27): "But if the woman did not defile herself and she is pure, she is to be held innocent and she shall bear seed." § She stands within and the Kohen stands without, as it is said (Num. 5:18), "And the Kohen shall stand the woman before Hashem," and there is no Kohen who is "before" Hashem. § Just as they believe [the husband] regarding her so that she will retract [her innocence and confess her guilt (see Sot. 14a:15)], they believe him regarding her so that she will not retract. They say to her, "My daughter, if it is clear to you that you are pure, stand on your clarity and drink, for these waters are similar only to dry poison that is placed on living flesh, which does no damage [as long as the skin is intact], but which if a wound is found there, it penetrates and goes down [into the bloodstream]." (See Sot. 7b:4, Steinsaltz.)