Numbers 6

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

And the Lord said to Moses,

2 “Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'When a man or a woman separates himself to Yahweh with a special vow of a Nazirite,

Say to the children of Israel, If a man or a woman takes an oath to keep himself separate and give himself to the Lord;

3 he must keep himself from wine and strong drink. He must not drink vinegar made from wine or from strong drink. He must not drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or raisins.

He is to keep himself from wine and strong drink, and take no mixed wine or strong drink or any drink made from grapes, or any grapes, green or dry.

4 In all the days that he is separate to me, he must eat nothing that is made from grapes, including everything made from the seeds to their skins.

All the time he is separate he may take nothing made from the grape-vine, from its seeds to its skin.

5 During all the time of his vow of separation, no razor is to be used on his head until the days of his separation to Yahweh are fulfilled. He must be set apart to Yahweh. He must let the hair grow long on his head.

All the time he is under his oath let no blade come near his head; till the days while he is separate are ended he is holy and his hair may not be cut.

6 During all the time that he separates himself to Yahweh, he must not come near a dead body.

All the time he is separate he may not come near any dead body.

7 He must not make himself unclean even for his father, mother, brother, or sister, if they die. This is because he is separated to God, as everyone can see by his long hair.

He may not make himself unclean for his father or his mother, his sister or his brother, if death comes to them; because he is under an oath to keep himself separate for God.

8 During all the time of his separation he is holy, reserved for Yahweh.

All the time he is separate he is holy to the Lord.

9 If someone very suddenly dies beside him and defiles his consecrated head, then he must shave his head on the day of his purification—on the seventh day he must shave it.

If death comes suddenly to a man at his side, so that he becomes unclean, let his hair be cut off on the day when he is made clean, on the seventh day.

10 On the eighth day he must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

And on the eighth day let him take to the priest, at the door of the Tent of meeting, two doves or two young pigeons;

11 The priest must offer one bird as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. These will atone for him because he sinned by being near the dead body. He must consecrate his head again on that day.

And the priest will give one for a sin-offering and the other for a burned offering to take away the sin which came on him on account of the dead, and he will make his head holy that same day.

12 He must set himself apart to Yahweh for the days of his consecration. He must bring a male lamb one year old as a guilt offering. The days before he defiled himself must not be counted, because his consecration was defiled.

And he will give to the Lord his days of being separate, offering a he-lamb of the first year as an offering for error: but the earlier days will be a loss, because he became unclean.

13 This is the law about the Nazirite for when the time of his separation is complete. He must be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting.

And this is the law for him who is separate, when the necessary days are ended: he is to come to the door of the Tent of meeting,

14 He must present his offering to Yahweh. He must offer as a burnt offering a male lamb one year old and without blemish. He must bring as a sin offering a female lamb one year old and without blemish. He must bring a ram as a fellowship offering that is without blemish.

And make his offering to the Lord; one he-lamb of the first year, without a mark, for a burned offering, and one female lamb of the first year, without a mark, for a sin-offering, and one male sheep, without a mark, for peace-offerings,

15 He must also bring a basket of bread made without yeast, loaves of fine flour mixed with oil, wafers without yeast rubbed with oil, together with their grain offering and drink offerings.

And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of the best meal mixed with oil, and thin unleavened cakes covered with oil, with their meal offering and drink offerings.

16 The priest must present them before Yahweh. He must offer his sin offering and burnt offering.

And the priest will take them before the Lord, and make his sin-offering and his burned offering;

17 With the basket of unleavened bread, he must present the ram as a sacrifice, the fellowship offering to Yahweh. The priest must present also the grain offering and the drink offering.

Giving the sheep of the peace-offerings, with the basket of unleavened bread; and at the same time, the priest will make his meal offering and his drink offering.

18 The Nazirite must shave his head indicating his separation to God at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He must take the hair from his head and put it on the fire that is under the sacrifice of fellowship offerings.

Then let his long hair, the sign of his oath, be cut off at the door of the Tent of meeting, and let him put it on the fire on which the peace-offerings are burning.

19 The priest must take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one loaf of bread without yeast out of the basket, and one wafer without yeast. He must place them into the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his head indicating separation.

And the priest will take the cooked leg of the sheep and one unleavened cake and one thin cake out of the basket, and put them on the hands of the separate one after his hair has been cut,

20 The priest must wave them as an offering before Yahweh, a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented for the priest. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.

Waving them for a wave offering before the Lord; this is holy for the priest, together with the waved breast and the leg which is lifted up; after that, the man may take wine.

21 This is the law for the Nazirite who vows his offering to Yahweh for his separation. Whatever else he may give, he must keep the obligations of the vow he has taken, to keep the promise indicated by the law for the Nazirite.'”

This is the law for him who takes an oath to keep himself separate, and for his offering to the Lord on that account, in addition to what he may be able to get; this is the law of his oath, which he will have to keep.

22 Again Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

And the Lord said to Moses,

23 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons. Say, 'You must bless the people of Israel in this way. You must say to them,

Say to Aaron and his sons, These are the words of blessing which are to be used by you in blessing the children of Israel; say to them,

24 “May Yahweh bless you and keep you.

May the Lord send his blessing on you and keep you:

25 May Yahweh make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

May the light of the Lord's face be shining on you in grace:

26 May Yahweh look on you with favor and give you peace.”'

May the Lord's approval be resting on you and may he give you peace.

27 It is in this way that they must give my name to the people of Israel. Then I will bless them.”

So they will put my name on the children of Israel, and I will give them my blessing.