The Death of Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu^(A) took their censers,^(B) put fire in them^(C) and added incense;^(D) and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord,^(E) contrary to his command.^(F)

¹² Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering^(A) left over from the food offerings prepared without yeast and presented to the Lord and eat it beside the altar,^(B) for it is most holy.

²⁰ Then Miriam^(A) the prophet,^(B) Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels^(C) and dancing.^(D)

The Divisions of Priests

24 These were the divisions^(A) of the descendants of Aaron:^(B)

The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.^{(C) 2} But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did,^(D) and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. ³ With the help of Zadok^(E) a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelek a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering. ⁴ A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar’s descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar’s descendants. ⁵ They divided them impartially by casting lots,^(F) for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

⁶ The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek^(G) son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

¹⁶ When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering^[a](A) and found that it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and asked,