Daily Bread

The Nazirite

6 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow^(A), a vow of dedication^(B) to the Lord as a Nazirite,^{(C) 3} they must abstain from wine^(D) and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar^(E) made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes^(F) or raisins. ⁴ As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.

⁵ “‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor^(G) may be used on their head.^(H) They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.

⁶ “‘Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body.^{(I) 7} Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean^(J) on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head. ⁸ Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord.

⁹ “‘If someone dies suddenly in the Nazirite’s presence, thus defiling the hair that symbolizes their dedication,^(K) they must shave their head on the seventh day—the day of their cleansing.^{(L) 10} Then on the eighth day^(M) they must bring two doves or two young pigeons^(N) to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting.^{(O) 11} The priest is to offer one as a sin offering^[a](P) and the other as a burnt offering^(Q) to make atonement^(R) for the Nazirite because they sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. That same day they are to consecrate their head again. ¹² They must rededicate themselves to the Lord for the same period of dedication and must bring a year-old male lamb^(S) as a guilt offering.^(T) The previous days do not count, because they became defiled during their period of dedication.

¹³ “‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the period of their dedication is over.^(U) They are to be brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting.^{(V) 14} There they are to present their offerings to the Lord: a year-old male lamb without defect^(W) for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering,^(X) a ram^(Y) without defect for a fellowship offering,^{(Z) 15} together with their grain offerings^(AA) and drink offerings,^(AB) and a basket of bread made with the finest flour and without yeast—thick loaves with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves brushed with olive oil.^(AC)

¹⁶ “‘The priest is to present all these^(AD) before the Lord^(AE) and make the sin offering and the burnt offering.^{(AF) 17} He is to present the basket of unleavened bread and is to sacrifice the ram as a fellowship offering^(AG) to the Lord, together with its grain offering^(AH) and drink offering.^(AI)

¹⁸ “‘Then at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the Nazirite must shave off the hair that symbolizes their dedication.^(AJ) They are to take the hair and put it in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering.

¹⁹ “‘After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair that symbolizes their dedication, the priest is to place in their hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and one thick loaf and one thin loaf from the basket, both made without yeast.^{(AK) 20} The priest shall then wave these before the Lord as a wave offering;^(AL) they are holy^(AM) and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented.^(AN) After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.^(AO)

²¹ “‘This is the law of the Nazirite^(AP) who vows offerings to the Lord in accordance with their dedication, in addition to whatever else they can afford. They must fulfill the vows^(AQ) they have made, according to the law of the Nazirite.’”