Numbers

The LORD said to Moses,

"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the LORD as a Nazirite, [1]

they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink. They must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink, nor any grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins.

As long as they are under the Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, from the seeds to the skins.

During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must stay holy until the time of their dedication to the LORD is over; they must let the hair on their head grow long.

Throughout the period of their dedication to the LORD, they must not go near a dead body.

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

Throughout the period of their dedication, they are holy to the LORD.

If someone dies suddenly in their presence, thus defiling their dedicated head of hair, they must shave their head on the day of their cleansing, the seventh day.

On the eighth day they must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for them because they sinned by being near the dead body. That same day they must re-consecrate their head.

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

Now this is the law for the Nazirite when the period of their dedication is over: They must be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

There they are to present their offerings to the LORD: a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a peace offering,

together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made without yeast, cakes of fine flour mixed with olive oil and wafers spread with oil.

The priest shall present them before the LORD and perform the sin offering and the burnt offering.

He shall sacrifice the ram as a peace offering to the LORD, together with the basket of bread made without yeast; the priest shall also present the grain offering and the drink offering.

Then at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite must shave off the hair that was dedicated. They are to take the hair and put it in the fire under the peace offering sacrifice.

After the Nazirite has shaved off the dedicated hair, the priest is to place in their hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and a cake and a wafer from the basket, both made without yeast.

The priest shall wave them before the LORD as a wave offering; 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.

This is the law for the Nazirite who vows their offering to the LORD according to their dedication, in addition to whatever else they can afford. They must fulfill the vow they have made, according to the law of the Nazirite.' "

The LORD said to Moses:

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

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

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