The Berean Pursuit

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When a man or a woman takes a special vow, a vow of a Nazirite, to keep separate for Yahweh, he will abstain from wine and fermented drink; he will not drink wine vinegar or vinegar of fermented drink; he will not drink the fruit juice of grapes or eat fresh or dry grapes. All the days of his separation you will not eat from anything that is made from the grapevine, from sour grapes to the skin of grapes.

"‘All the days of the vow of his separation a razor will not pass over his head. Until fulfilling the days that he separated himself to Yahweh he will be holy and grow long the locks of the hair of his head.

"‘All the days of keeping himself separated for Yahweh he will not go to a person who is dead; for even his father, mother, brother, or sister he will not make himself unclean by their death, because the separation to his God is on his head. He will be holy for Yahweh all the days of his separation.

"‘If someone dies suddenly and makes the head of his separation unclean, he will shave off the hair of his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he will shave it off. On the eighth day he will bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest by the doorway of the tent of assembly, and the priest will offer one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering, and he will make atonement for him because he sinned concerning the corpse. He will consecrate his head on that day. He will rededicate to Yahweh the days of his separation and bring a ram-lamb in its first year as a guilt offering. The former days of his vow will fall away because his separation was defiled.

"‘This is the regulation of the Nazirite for the day of the fulfilling of the days of his separation: one will bring him to the doorway of the tent of the assembly. He will present his offering to Yahweh, one ram-lamb in its first year without defect as a burnt offering, and one ewe-lamb in its first year without defect as a sin offering, and one ram without defect as a fellowship offering; and a basket of unleavened bread, finely milled flour of ring-shaped bread cakes mixed with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread smeared with oil, and their grain offering and their libations. The priest will present before Yahweh and offer his sin offering, his burnt offering; he will offer a ram as a sacrifice of a fellowship offering to Yahweh, in addition to the basket of the unleavened bread; the priest will offer his grain offering and his libation. The Nazirite will shave off the hair of his consecrated head at the doorway of the tent of assembly, and he will take the hair of his consecrated head, and he will put it on the fire that is beneath the sacrifice of the fellowship offering. The priest will take the shoulder from the ram that is boiled, and one ring-shaped bread cake of unleavened bread from the basket, and one wafer of unleavened bread, and he will put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated head. The priest will wave them as a wave offering before the presence of Yahweh; they are a holy object to the priest, in addition to the breast section of the wave offering, and in addition to the upper thigh of the contribution; and afterward the Nazirite may drink wine.

"‘This is the regulation of the Nazirite who has made a vow of his offering to Yahweh according to his separation, in addition to what he can afford. In accordance to the word of his vow that he vowed, he will do, concerning the instruction of his separation.’"

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘You will bless the Israelites: You will say to them:

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

On the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle and appointed and consecrated it and all its vessels, and the altar and its vessels, and he appointed them and consecrated them, the leaders of Israel, the heads of the families, presented an offering; they were the leaders of the tribes and were the ones in charge of the counting. They brought their offering before the presence of Yahweh, six covered utility carts and twelve cattle, a utility cart for two of the leaders, and a bull for each; and they presented them before the tabernacle. Yahweh said to Moses, saying, "Take them, and they will be used to do the work of the tent of the assembly; and you will give them to the Levites, each according to his required service." So Moses took the utility carts and the cattle, and he gave them to the Levites. Two utility carts and four cattle he gave to the descendants of Gershon according to their required service; and four utility carts and eight cattle he gave to the descendants of Merari according to their required service, under the authority of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. But to the descendants of Kohath he did not give anything because the work of the sanctuary they carried upon them on their shoulders.

The leaders presented offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day of its anointing, and the leaders presented their offerings before the altar. Yahweh said to Moses, "One leader for each day will present their offering for the dedication of the altar."

And it happened, the one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah. His offering was one plate of silver—its weight was one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and as a sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering. He presented as his offering one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking wine weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering. One dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

On the third day Eliab son of Helon, leader of the descendants of Zebulun: his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking wine weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the descendants of Reuben: his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the descendants of Simeon: his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, leader of the descendants of Gad: his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.

On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the descendants of Ephraim: his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the descendants of Manasseh: his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the descendants of Benjamin: his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.

On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, leader of the descendants of Dan: his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, leader of the descendants of Asher: his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.

On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, leader of the descendants of Naphtali: his offering was one silver plate—its weight one hundred and thirty shekels—and one silver bowl for drinking weighing seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, both of them filled with finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one golden dish weighing ten shekels filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, a male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering; one he-goat as a sin offering; and for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering, two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.

This was the dedication of the altar on the day of anointing it, from the leaders of Israel: twelve silver plates, twelve silver bowls for drinking wine, twelve golden dishes; each plate of silver weighed one hundred and thirty shekels, and each bowl for drinking seventy, all the silver of the vessels two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel; the twelve golden dishes filled with incense, each dish weighing ten shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, all the gold of the dishes one hundred and twenty; all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs in their first year, and their grain offering; and twelve he-goats as a sin offering; and all the cattle of the sacrifice of the fellowship offering twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty he-goats, sixty male lambs in their first year. These were the dedication of the altar after its anointing.

And when Moses came to the tent of assembly to speak with him, he would hear the voice speaking to him from the atonement cover, which is on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, and he would speak to him.

Brotherly love must continue. Do not neglect hospitality, because through this some have received angels as guests without knowing it. Remember the prisoners, as though you were fellow-prisoners; remember the mistreated, as though you yourselves also are being mistreated in the body. Marriage must be held in honor by all, and the marriage bed be undefiled, because God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers. Your lifestyle must be free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For he himself has said, "I will never desert you, and I will never abandon you." So then, we can say with confidence,

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you; considering the outcome of their way of life, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods by which those who participate have not benefited. We have an altar from which those who serve in the tabernacle do not have the right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sins are burned up outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, in order that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. So we must go out to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For here we do not have a permanent city, but we seek the city that is to come. Therefore through him let us offer up a sacrifice of praise continually to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not neglect doing good and generosity, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with groaning, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Pray for us, for we are convinced that we have a good conscience, and want to conduct ourselves commendably in every way. And I especially urge you to do this, so that I may be restored to you more quickly.

Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing to do his will, carrying out in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.

Now I urge you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for indeed I have written to you briefly. Know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I will see you, if he comes quickly enough. Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with all of you.