Numbers 6

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Nazirites

6 <1> The Lord said to Moses, <2> "Tell the Israelites this: If there are people, men or women, who want to make a vow[48] dedicating[49] themselves completely to the Lord for a time, they will be called Nazirites.[50] <3> During this time, they must not drink any wine or other strong drink. They must not drink vinegar that is made from wine or from other strong drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. <4> They must not eat anything that comes from grapes during that special time of separation. They must not even eat the seeds or the skins from grapes.

<5> "They must not cut their hair during that special time of dedication. They must be holy until the time that their dedication is ended. They must let their hair grow long. Their hair is a special part of their promise to God, so they must let their hair grow long until this time is ended.

<6> "If you have taken the Nazirite vow, you must not go near someone who is dying[51] during that special time of dedication. You have given yourself fully to the Lord, <7> so you must not let yourself become unclean like this-even for your own father or mother, brother or sister when they die.[52] This is because you have the hair that you dedicated to God on your head! <8> It is holy because you have given yourself fully to the Lord for the full time of that dedication. <9> So if you are with someone when they suddenly die, you will be unclean and you will have to shave the hair from your head. You must do that on the seventh day of your purification ceremony when you are made clean.[53] <10> Then on the eighth day, you must bring two doves or two young pigeons and give them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent.[54] <11> Then the priest will offer one bird as a sin offering[55] and the other one as a burnt offering.[56] The burnt offering will be a payment for the sin of touching a dead body during your special time of dedication. Then you must again promise to give the hair on your head as a gift to God. <12> This means you must again give yourself to the Lord for another time of dedication. You must bring a one-year-old male lamb to offer as a guilt offering. You must start over from the beginning with a new time of dedication because you touched a dead body during your first time of dedication.

<13> "After their time of dedication is ended, Nazirites must go to the entrance of the Meeting Tent <14> and give their offering to the Lord. Their offering must be:

A one-year-old male lamb that has nothing wrong with it for a burnt offering[57];

A one-year-old female lamb that has nothing wrong with it for a sin offering[58];

One ram that has nothing wrong with it for a fellowship offering[59];

<15> A basket of bread made without yeast (cakes made with fine flour mixed with oil).

Oil must be spread on these cakes.

The grain offerings and drink offerings that are a part of these gifts.

<16> "The priest will give these things to the Lord, and then the priest will make the sin offering and the burnt offering. <17> He will give the basket of bread without yeast to the Lord. Then he will kill the ram as a fellowship offering to the Lord. He will give it to the Lord with the grain offering and the drink offering.

<18> "The Nazirites must go to the entrance of the Meeting Tent. There they must shave off their hair that they grew for the Lord. That hair will be put in the fire that is burning under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering.

<19> "After the Nazirites have cut off their hair, the priest will give them a boiled shoulder from the ram and a large and a small cake from the basket. Both of these cakes are made without yeast. <20> Then the priest will lift these things up to show they were presented before the Lord. These things are holy[60] and belong to the priest. Also, the breast and the thigh from the ram are lifted before the Lord. These things also belong to the priest. After that the Nazirite can drink wine.

<21> "These are the rules for someone who decides to make the Nazirite vow. They must give all of these gifts to the Lord. But they might be able to give much more to the Lord. If they promise to do more, they must keep their promise. But they must give at least all the things listed in these rules for the Nazirite promise."

The Priests' Blessings

<22> The Lord said to Moses, <23> "Tell Aaron and his sons that this is the way they should bless the Israelites. They should say:

<24> May the Lord bless you and keep you.

<25> May the Lord smile down on you[61]

and show you his kindness.

<26> May the Lord answer your prayers[62]

and give you peace."

<27> Then the Lord said, "In that way Aaron and his sons will use my name to give a blessing to the Israelites, and I will bless them."