Numbers 6-7

Common English Bible

Instructions for the nazirite

6 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² Speak to the Israelites and say to them: If a man or a woman makes a binding promise to be a nazirite in order to be dedicated to the Lord, ³ that person must refrain from wine and brandy. He or she may not drink wine vinegar or brandy vinegar, nor drink any grape juice or eat grapes, whether fresh or dried. ⁴ While a nazirite, the person may not eat anything produced from the grapevine, not even its seeds or skin.

⁵ For the term of the nazirite promise, no razor may be used on the head until the period of dedication to the Lord is fulfilled. The person is to be holy, letting his or her hair grow untrimmed. ⁶ The period of dedication to the Lord also requires that the person not go near a corpse, ⁷ whether father, mother, brother, or sister. Nazirites should not defile themselves because of the death of these people, because they bear the sign of their dedication to God on their heads.

⁸ While a nazirite, the person is holy to the Lord. ⁹ If someone suddenly dies nearby, defiling the head of the nazirite, he or she will shave the head on the day of cleansing; they will shave it on the seventh day. ¹⁰ On the eighth day the person will bring two turtledoves or two young doves to the priest at the entrance of the meeting tent. ¹¹ The priest will offer one for a purification offering and the other as an entirely burned offering. He will seek reconciliation for the person on account of the guilt acquired from the corpse, and he will make the head holy again on that same day. ¹² The person will be rededicated to the Lord as a nazirite and bring a one-year-old male lamb for a compensation offering. The previous period will be invalid, because the nazirite promise was defiled.

¹³ This is the Instruction for the nazirite. When the term as a nazirite is completed, the person will be brought to the entrance of the meeting tent ¹⁴ and offer a gift to the Lord, consisting of a flawless one-year-old male lamb as an entirely burned offering, a flawless one-year-old female lamb as a purification offering, one flawless ram as a well-being sacrifice, ¹⁵ and a basket of loaves of unleavened bread made with fine flour and mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering. ¹⁶ The priest will come close to the Lord and offer the purification and entirely burned offerings. ¹⁷ The ram he will offer as a well-being sacrifice to the Lord with the basket of unleavened bread; then the priest will offer the grain offering and the drink offering. ¹⁸ The nazirite will shave his ordained head at the meeting tent’s entrance, take the hair from his ordained head, and put it in the fire under the well-being sacrifice. ¹⁹ The priest will take the shoulder from the ram after it is boiled, one piece of unleavened bread from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and place them in the hands of the nazirite after the ordained head is shaved. ²⁰ Then the priest will raise them as an uplifted offering before the Lord; they are holy to the priest, with the breast of the uplifted offering and the thigh of the gift offering. After this the nazirite may drink wine.

²¹ This is the instruction for the nazirite who takes the solemn promise. That person’s offering to the Lord will be in accordance with the nazirite promise, in addition to whatever else the person may have offered. The person must do just as they have promised, in adherence with the nazirite promise.

Priestly blessing

²² The Lord spoke to Moses: ²³ Tell Aaron and his sons: You will bless the Israelites as follows. Say to them:

²⁷ They will place my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.

The dwelling’s dedication

7 On the day when Moses finished setting up the dwelling, he anointed and made it holy. All its equipment, as well as the altar and all its equipment, he also anointed and made holy. ² The chiefs of Israel, the leaders of their households, made their presentations. They were the tribal chiefs and those who were in charge of the enlistment. ³ They brought their offerings before the Lord: six covered wagons and twelve oxen—a wagon for every two chiefs, and an ox for every chief. They brought them near before the dwelling.

⁴ The Lord said to Moses: ⁵ Take these from them and use them for service in the meeting tent. Give them to the Levites according to their duties.

⁶ So Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and he gave them to the Levites. ⁷ Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the Gershonites for their duty. ⁸ Four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the Merarites for their duty under the supervision of Ithamar, Aaron the priest’s son. ⁹ But to the Kohathites he gave nothing because their duty concerned the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulders. ¹⁰ The chiefs made their presentations for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed. The chiefs presented their offerings before the altar.

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses: One chief per day will present their offering for the dedication of the altar.

¹² The one presenting his offering on the first day was Nahshon, Amminadab’s son, from the tribe of Judah. ¹³ His offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ¹⁴ one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ¹⁵ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ¹⁶ one male goat for a purification offering; ¹⁷ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon, Amminadab’s son.

¹⁸ On the second day Nethanel, Zuar’s son, the chief of Issachar, presented his offering. ¹⁹ He presented as his offering one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁰ one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ²¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ²² one male goat for a purification offering; ²³ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel, Zuar’s son.

²⁴ On the third day Zebulun’s Chief Eliab, Helon’s son: ²⁵ his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁶ one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ²⁷ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ²⁸ one male goat for a purification offering; ²⁹ and for the well-being sacrifice, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab, Helon’s son.

³⁰ On the fourth day Reuben’s Chief Elizur, Shedeur’s son: ³¹ his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³² one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ³³ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ³⁴ one male goat for a purification offering; ³⁵ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur, Shedeur’s son.

³⁶ On the fifth day Simeon’s Chief Shelumiel, Zurishaddai’s son: ³⁷ his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³⁸ one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ³⁹ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁴⁰ one male goat for a purification offering; ⁴¹ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel, Zurishaddai’s son.

⁴² On the sixth day Gad’s Chief Eliasaph, Deuel’s son: ⁴³ his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁴⁴ one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁴⁵ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁴⁶ one male goat for a purification offering; ⁴⁷ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph, Deuel’s son.

⁴⁸ On the seventh day Ephraim’s Chief Elishama, Ammihud’s son: ⁴⁹ his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁰ one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁵¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁵² one male goat for a purification offering; ⁵³ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama, Ammihud’s son.

⁵⁴ On the eighth day Manasseh’s Chief Gamaliel, Pedahzur’s son: ⁵⁵ his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels by the sanctuary scale, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁶ one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁵⁷ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁵⁸ one male goat for a purification offering; ⁵⁹ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel, Pedahzur’s son.

⁶⁰ On the ninth day Benjamin’s Chief Abidan, Gideoni’s son: ⁶¹ his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶² one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁶³ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁶⁴ one male goat for a purification offering; ⁶⁵ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan, Gideoni’s son.

⁶⁶ On the tenth day Dan’s Chief Ahiezer, Ammishaddai’s son: ⁶⁷ his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶⁸ one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁶⁹ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁷⁰ one male goat for a purification offering; ⁷¹ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer, Ammishaddai’s son.

⁷² On the eleventh day Asher’s Chief Pagiel, Ochran’s son: ⁷³ his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁷⁴ one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁷⁵ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁷⁶ one male goat for a purification offering; ⁷⁷ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel, Ochran’s son.

⁷⁸ On the twelfth day Naphtali’s Chief Ahira, Enan’s son: ⁷⁹ his offering was one silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels, one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁸⁰ one gold bowl weighing ten shekels full of incense; ⁸¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one year-old male lamb for an entirely burned offering; ⁸² one male goat for a purification offering; ⁸³ and for the well-being sacrifice two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira, Enan’s son.

⁸⁴ This is what the Israelite chiefs provided for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver basins, and twelve gold bowls; ⁸⁵ each silver dish weighing one hundred thirty shekels and each basin seventy shekels—all the silver equipment weighed two thousand four hundred shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; ⁸⁶ the twelve gold bowls full of incense weighing ten shekels each according to the sanctuary shekel—all the gold of the bowls weighed one hundred twenty shekels; ⁸⁷ all the animals for the entirely burned offering were twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their grain offering; twelve male goats for the purification offering; ⁸⁸ and all the animals for the well-being sacrifice were twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

Moses in the dwelling

⁸⁹ When Moses entered the meeting tent to speak with the Lord,^[a] he would hear the voice speaking to him from above the cover^[b] that was on the chest containing the covenant, from between the two winged creatures. In this way he spoke to Moses.