Numbers 6

¹ The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

² "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: If a man or a woman makes a special vow, a Nazirite vow, to set themselves apart for the LORD,

³ they must abstain from wine and strong drink. They must not drink vinegar made from wine or from strong drink, or drink any grape juice, or eat fresh grapes or raisins.

⁴ As long as they are a Nazirite, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.

⁵ As long as the vow of separation lasts, no razor may touch their head. Until the time set apart for the LORD is complete, they are holy; they must let the hair of their head grow long.

⁶ As long as they are set apart for the LORD, they must not go near a dead body.

⁷ Even if their own father or mother, brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves unclean for them, because the sign of their separation to God is on their head.

⁸ For the whole time of their separation they are holy to the LORD.

⁹ If someone dies suddenly beside them and defiles their consecrated head, they must shave their head on the day they are made clean—they must shave it on the seventh day.

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

¹¹ The priest will offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for them because they sinned by being near the dead body. That same day they will reconsecrate their head.

¹² They must rededicate themselves to the LORD for the time of their separation and bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. The previous days do not count, because their separation was defiled.

¹³ This is the law for the Nazirite when the time of their separation is complete. They are to be brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting.

¹⁴ There they must present their offering to the LORD: a year-old male lamb without defect as a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect as a sin offering, a ram without defect as a fellowship offering,

¹⁵ together with a basket of unleavened bread—loaves of fine flour mixed with oil, and thin wafers spread with oil—along with their grain offerings and drink offerings.

¹⁶ The priest will present them before the LORD and offer the sin offering and the burnt offering.

¹⁷ He will present the ram as a fellowship offering to the LORD, together with the basket of unleavened bread, and offer the grain offering and the drink offering.

¹⁸ Then at the entrance to the tent of meeting the Nazirite must shave off the hair of their consecration, take it, and put it on the fire that is under the fellowship offering.

¹⁹ After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair of their consecration, the priest will take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one loaf and one wafer of unleavened bread from the basket, and put them in the Nazirite's hands.

²⁰ The priest will then wave them as a wave offering before the LORD; they are holy and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.

²¹ This is the law for the Nazirite who vows an offering to the LORD for their separation, besides whatever else they can afford. They must carry out the vow they have made, according to the law of their separation."

²² The LORD said to Moses:

²³ "Tell Aaron and his sons: This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

²⁴ May the LORD bless you
and keep you;

²⁵ may the LORD make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;

²⁶ may the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.

²⁷ So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."