The Nazirite Vow

Numbers 6

YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel and tell them: ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate themselves to YHWH, they must abstain from wine and beer. They must not drink vinegar made from wine, or vinegar made from beer. They must not drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried. During the days of consecration, they must not eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins.

“‘During the entire time of consecration no razor may be used on their head. He will be holy until the days of their separates to YHWH are completed. They are to let the locks of the hair of their head grow long.

“‘They must not go near a dead body during the days of separation to YHWH . They must not make themselves unclean if their father, mother, brother, or sister dies, while the mark of separation to God is on their head. All the days of their separation they will holy to YHWH.

“‘If anyone dies-dies suddenly beside them, defiling their consecrated head, then they must shave their head in the day of cleansing. On the seventh day they must shave it. 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 for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for them, because they sinned regarding the corpse. On that day, they are to consecrate their head again. They are to rededicate themselves to YHWH for the same days of dedication, and must bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering. The previous days will not be counted, because their separation was defiled.

“‘This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of their separation are fulfilled, they are to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They are to present their offering to YHWH: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering, one ewe lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering, one ram without defect for peace offerings, a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil with their meal offering and their drink offerings. The priest is to present them before YHWH and make the Nazirite’s sin offering and burnt offering. He is to present the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to YHWH, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest will also offer its meal offering and its drink offering. The Nazirite is to shave the their consecrated head at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They are to take the hair consecration, and put it on the fire under the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest is to take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them on the hands of the Nazirite after they have shaved their consecrated head. Then the priest is to wave them for a wave offering before YHWH. They are holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.

“‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows offering to YHWH for their consecration, in addition to what they are able to afford. They are to fulfill the vow they made, according to the law of consecration.’”

The Priestly Blessing

YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “You are to speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is how y’all are to bless the children of Israel.’ Y’all should say to them,

‘May YHWH bless you and keep you. May YHWH make ʜɪꜱ face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. May YHWH lift up ʜɪꜱ face toward you, and give you peace.’

“So they will place my name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”