Numbers 6

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.”