Numbers 6-7

New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 6

Laws Concerning Nazirites. ¹ The Lord said to Moses: ² Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When men or women solemnly take the nazirite^[a] vow to dedicate themselves to the Lord, ³ they shall abstain from wine and strong drink;^(A) they may neither drink wine vinegar, other vinegar, or any kind of grape juice, nor eat either fresh or dried grapes. ⁴ As long as they are nazirites they shall not eat anything of the produce of the grapevine; not even the seeds or the skins. ⁵ While they are under the nazirite vow, no razor shall touch their hair.^(B) Until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over, they shall be holy, letting the hair of their heads grow freely. ⁶ As long as they are dedicated to the Lord, they shall not come near a dead person.^{(C) 7} Not even for their father or mother, sister or brother, should they defile themselves, when these die, since their heads bear their dedication to God. ⁸ As long as they are nazirites they are holy to the Lord.

⁹ If someone dies very suddenly in their presence, defiling their dedicated heads, they shall shave their heads on the day of their purification, that is, on the seventh day. ¹⁰ On the eighth day they shall bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting. ¹¹ The priest shall offer up the one as a purification offering and the other as a burnt offering, thus making atonement for them for the sin they committed with respect to the corpse. On the same day they shall reconsecrate their heads ¹² and rededicate themselves to the Lord for the period of their dedication, bringing a yearling lamb as a reparation offering. The previous period is not valid, because they defiled their dedicated heads.

¹³ This is the ritual for the nazirites:^(D) When the period of their dedication is complete they shall go to the entrance of the tent of meeting, ¹⁴ bringing their offerings to the Lord, one unblemished yearling lamb for a burnt offering, one unblemished yearling ewe lamb for a purification offering, one unblemished ram as a communion offering, ¹⁵ and a basket of unleavened cakes of bran flour mixed with oil and of unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offerings and libations. ¹⁶ The priest shall present them before the Lord, and shall offer up the purification offering and the burnt offering for them. ¹⁷ He shall then offer up the ram as a communion sacrifice to the Lord, along with the basket of unleavened cakes, and the priest will offer the grain offering and libation. ¹⁸ Then at the entrance of the tent of meeting the nazirite shall shave his or her dedicated head, take the hair of the dedicated head, and put it in the fire under the communion sacrifice. ¹⁹ After the nazirite has shaved off the dedicated hair, the priest shall take a boiled shoulder of the ram, as well as one unleavened cake from the basket and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them in the hands of the nazirite. ²⁰ The priest shall then elevate them as an elevated offering before the Lord. They are an offering belonging to the priest, along with the brisket of the elevated offering and the leg of the contribution. Only after this may the nazirite drink wine.

²¹ This, then, is the law for the nazirites, that is, what they vow as their offering to the Lord in accord with their dedication, apart from anything else which their means may allow. In keeping with the vow they take so shall they do, according to the law of their dedication.

The Priestly Blessing. ²² The Lord said to Moses: ²³ Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them:

²⁷ So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.

Chapter 7

Offerings of the Tribal Leaders. ¹ Now, when Moses had completed the erection of the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it with all its equipment,^(E) as well as the altar with all its equipment. After he anointed and consecrated them, ² an offering was made by the tribal leaders of Israel, who were heads of ancestral houses, the same leaders of the tribes who supervised those enrolled. ³ The offering they brought before the Lord consisted of six wagons for baggage and twelve oxen, that is, a wagon for every two tribal leaders, and an ox for each. These they presented before the tabernacle.

⁴ The Lord then said to Moses: ⁵ Accept their offering, that these things may be put to use to maintain the tent of meeting. Assign them to the Levites, to each according to his duties. ⁶ So Moses accepted the wagons and oxen, and assigned them to the Levites. ⁷ He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites^(F) according to their duties, ⁸ and four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites according to their duties, under the supervision of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. ⁹ He gave none to the Kohathites, because they were responsible for maintenance of the sacred objects that had to be carried on their shoulders.^(G)

¹⁰ For the dedication of the altar also, the tribal leaders brought offerings when it was anointed;^(H) the leaders presented their offering before the altar. ¹¹ But the Lord said to Moses: Let one leader each day present his offering for the dedication of the altar.

^12 [c]The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon, son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. ¹³ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ¹⁴ one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ¹⁵ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ¹⁶ one goat for a purification offering; ¹⁷ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Nahshon, son of Amminadab.

¹⁸ On the second day Nethanel, son of Zuar, tribal leader of Issachar, made his offering. ¹⁹ He presented as his offering one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁰ one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ²¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ²² one goat for a purification offering; ²³ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Nethanel, son of Zuar.

²⁴ On the third day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Zebulunites, Eliab, son of Helon. ²⁵ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁶ one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ²⁷ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ²⁸ one goat for a purification offering; ²⁹ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Eliab, son of Helon.

³⁰ On the fourth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Reubenites, Elizur, son of Shedeur. ³¹ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³² one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ³³ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ³⁴ one goat for a purification offering; ³⁵ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Elizur, son of Shedeur.

³⁶ On the fifth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Simeonites, Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai. ³⁷ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³⁸ one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ³⁹ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ⁴⁰ one goat for a purification offering; ⁴¹ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai.

⁴² On the sixth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Gadites, Eliasaph, son of Reuel. ⁴³ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁴⁴ one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ⁴⁵ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ⁴⁶ one goat for a purification offering; ⁴⁷ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Eliasaph, son of Reuel.

⁴⁸ On the seventh day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Ephraimites, Elishama, son of Ammihud. ⁴⁹ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁰ one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ⁵¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ⁵² one goat for a purification offering; ⁵³ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Elishama, son of Ammihud.

⁵⁴ On the eighth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Manassites, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur. ⁵⁵ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁶ one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ⁵⁷ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ⁵⁸ one goat for a purification offering; ⁵⁹ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur.

⁶⁰ On the ninth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Benjaminites, Abidan, son of Gideoni. ⁶¹ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶² one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ⁶³ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ⁶⁴ one goat for a purification offering; ⁶⁵ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Abidan, son of Gideoni.

⁶⁶ On the tenth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Danites, Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai. ⁶⁷ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶⁸ one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ⁶⁹ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ⁷⁰ one goat for a purification offering; ⁷¹ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai.

⁷² On the eleventh day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Asherites, Pagiel, son of Ochran. ⁷³ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁷⁴ one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ⁷⁵ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ⁷⁶ one goat for a purification offering; ⁷⁷ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Pagiel, son of Ochran.

⁷⁸ On the twelfth day it was the turn of the tribal leader of the Naphtalites, Ahira, son of Enan. ⁷⁹ His offering consisted of one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver basin weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both filled with bran flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁸⁰ one gold cup of ten shekels’ weight filled with incense; ⁸¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, and one yearling lamb for a burnt offering; ⁸² one goat for a purification offering; ⁸³ and two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs for a communion sacrifice. This was the offering of Ahira, son of Enan.

⁸⁴ These were the offerings for the dedication of the altar, given by the tribal leaders of Israel on the occasion of its anointing: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, and twelve gold cups. ⁸⁵ Each silver plate weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each silver basin seventy, so that all the silver of these vessels amounted to two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. ⁸⁶ The twelve gold cups that were filled with incense weighed ten shekels apiece, according to the sanctuary shekel, so that all the gold of the cups amounted to one hundred and twenty shekels. ⁸⁷ The animals for the burnt offerings were, in all, twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve yearling lambs, with their grain offerings; those for the purification offerings were twelve goats. ⁸⁸ The animals for the communion sacrifices were, in all, twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty he-goats, and sixty yearling lambs. These, then, were the offerings for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.

The Voice. ⁸⁹ When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with God, he heard the voice addressing him from above the cover^(I) on the ark of the covenant, from between the two cherubim; and so it spoke to him.