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The Death of Nadab and Abihu

10 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He did not command them to do. Then a fire came out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying:

‘I will be sanctified
    by those who come near Me;
and before all the people
    I will be glorified.’ ”

And Aaron held his peace.

Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, and carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.” So they went near, and carried them in their tunics out of the camp as Moses had said.

Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, “Do not let your hair be loosely disheveled, nor rend your clothes, lest you die, and lest wrath come upon all the people. Instead, let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, mourn the burning which the Lord has caused. You shall not go out from the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

The Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: Do not drink wine nor strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, 10 so that you may differentiate between what is holy and common and between what is unclean and clean. 11 And so you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.

12 Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left: Take the grain offering that remains of the food offerings of the Lord made by fire and eat it without leaven beside the altar. For it is most holy. 13 And you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons’ due from the food sacrifices of the Lord made by fire. For so I have been commanded. 14 The breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you, for they are your due and your sons’ due which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel. 15 The thigh that is contributed and the breast that is waved they shall bring with the fat pieces of the food offerings made by fire to wave them as a wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be yours and your sons’ with you as a perpetual statute, as the Lord has commanded.

16 Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering and saw it was burned up. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left alive, saying, 17 “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the sacred area, knowing that it is most holy and God has given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation to make atonement for them before the Lord? 18 Its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. Indeed you should have eaten it in the sanctuary as I commanded.”

19 Aaron said to Moses, “Today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, should it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And when Moses heard that, he approved.

10 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them. And there came forth fire from before Jehovah, and devoured them, and they died before Jehovah. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that Jehovah spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that [a]come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Draw near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. So they drew near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, [b]Let not the hair of your heads go loose, neither rend your clothes; that ye die not, and that he be not wroth with all the congregation: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Jehovah hath kindled. And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting, lest ye die; for the anointing oil of Jehovah is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.

And Jehovah spake unto Aaron, saying, Drink no wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tent of meeting, that ye die not: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: 10 and [c]that ye may make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; 11 and [d]that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which Jehovah hath spoken unto them by Moses.

12 And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meal-offering that remaineth of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy; 13 and ye shall eat it in a holy place, because it is thy portion, and thy sons’ portion, of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: for so I am commanded. 14 And the wave-breast and the heave-thigh shall ye eat in a clean place, thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they are given as thy portion, and thy sons’ portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace-offerings of the children of Israel. 15 The heave-thigh and the wave-breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave-offering before Jehovah: and it shall be thine, and thy sons’ with thee, as a portion for ever; as Jehovah hath commanded.

16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin-offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron that were left, saying, 17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin-offering in the place of the sanctuary, seeing it is most holy, and he hath given it you [e]to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before Jehovah? 18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary within: ye should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded. 19 And Aaron spake unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin-offering and their burnt-offering before Jehovah; and there have befallen me such things as these: and if I had eaten the sin-offering to-day, would it have been well-pleasing in the sight of Jehovah? 20 And when Moses heard that, it was well-pleasing in his sight.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 10:3 Or, are nigh
  2. Leviticus 10:6 According to Septuagint, Vulgate, and Syriac, Uncover not your heads
  3. Leviticus 10:10 Or, ye shall
  4. Leviticus 10:11 Or, ye shall
  5. Leviticus 10:17 Or, to take away