Numbers 6–7

The Nazirite

6The Lord said to Moses, ²“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow^m, a vow of dedicationⁿ to the Lord as a Nazirite,^{o 3}they must abstain from wine^p and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar^q made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes^r or raisins. ⁴As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.

⁵“ ‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor^s may be used on their head.^t They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.

⁶“ ‘Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body.^{u 7}Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean^v on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head. ⁸Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord.

⁹“ ‘If someone dies suddenly in the Nazirite’s presence, thus defiling the hair that symbolizes their dedication,^w they must shave their head on the seventh day—the day of their cleansing.^{x 10}Then on the eighth day^y they must bring two doves or two young pigeons^z to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting.^{a 11}The priest is to offer one as a sin offering^ab and the other as a burnt offering^c to make atonement^d for the Nazirite because they sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. That same day they are to consecrate their head again. ¹²They must rededicate themselves to the Lord for the same period of dedication and must bring a year-old male lamb^e as a guilt offering.^f The previous days do not count, because they became defiled during their period of dedication.

¹³“ ‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the period of their dedication is over.^g They are to be brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting.^{h 14}There they are to present their offerings to the Lord: a year-old male lamb without defectⁱ for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering,^j a ram^k without defect for a fellowship offering,^{l 15}together with their grain offerings^m and drink offerings,ⁿ and a basket of bread made with the finest flour and without yeast—thick loaves with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves brushed with olive oil.^o

¹⁶“ ‘The priest is to present all these^p before the Lord^q and make the sin offering and the burnt offering.^{r 17}He is to present the basket of unleavened bread and is to sacrifice the ram as a fellowship offering^s to the Lord, together with its grain offering^t and drink offering.^u

¹⁸“ ‘Then at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the Nazirite must shave off the hair that symbolizes their dedication.^v They are to take the hair and put it in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering.

¹⁹“ ‘After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair that symbolizes their dedication, the priest is to place in their hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and one thick loaf and one thin loaf from the basket, both made without yeast.^{w 20}The priest shall then wave these before the Lord as a wave offering;^x they are holy^y and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented.^z After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.^a

²¹“ ‘This is the law of the Nazirite^b who vows offerings to the Lord in accordance with their dedication, in addition to whatever else they can afford. They must fulfill the vows^c they have made, according to the law of the Nazirite.’ ”

The Priestly Blessing

²²The Lord said to Moses, ²³“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless^d the Israelites. Say to them:

²⁴“ ‘ “The Lord bless you^e

and keep you;^f

²⁵the Lord make his face shine on you^g

and be gracious to you;^h

²⁶the Lord turn his faceⁱ toward you

and give you peace.^j” ’

²⁷“So they will put my name^k on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Offerings at the Dedication of the Tabernacle

7When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle,^l he anointed^m and consecrated it and all its furnishings.ⁿ He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils.^{o 2}Then the leaders of Israel,^p the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted,^q made offerings. ³They brought as their gifts before the Lord six covered carts^r and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle.

⁴The Lord said to Moses, ⁵“Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work at the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites as each man’s work requires.”

⁶So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. ⁷He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites,^s as their work required, ⁸and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites,^t as their work required. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. ⁹But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites,^u because they were to carry on their shoulders^v the holy things, for which they were responsible.

¹⁰When the altar was anointed,^w the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication^x and presented them before the altar. ¹¹For the Lord had said to Moses, “Each day one leader is to bring his offering for the dedication of the altar.”

¹²The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon^y son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah.

¹³His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels^a and one silver sprinkling bowl^z weighing seventy shekels,^ba both according to the sanctuary shekel,^b each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering;^{c 14}one gold dish^d weighing ten shekels,^ce filled with incense;^{f 15}one young bull,^g one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;^{h 16}one male goat for a sin offering^d;^{i 17}and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering.^j This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.^k

¹⁸On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar,^l the leader of Issachar, brought his offering.

¹⁹The offering he brought was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ²⁰one gold dish^m weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ²¹one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ²²one male goat for a sin offering; ²³and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

²⁴On the third day, Eliab son of Helon,ⁿ the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering.

²⁵His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ²⁶one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ²⁷one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ²⁸one male goat for a sin offering; ²⁹and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

³⁰On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur,^o the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering.

³¹His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ³²one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ³³one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ³⁴one male goat for a sin offering; ³⁵and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

³⁶On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai,^p the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering.

³⁷His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ³⁸one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ³⁹one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ⁴⁰one male goat for a sin offering; ⁴¹and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

⁴²On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel,^q the leader of the people of Gad, brought his offering.

⁴³His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ⁴⁴one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; ⁴⁵one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; ⁴⁶one male goat for a sin offering; ⁴⁷and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.

⁴⁸On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud,^r the leader of the people of Ephraim, brought his offering.

⁴⁹His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; ⁵⁰one gold dish weighing ten…