Leviticus 10
New Living Translation
The Sin of Nadab and Abihu
10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. 2 So fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the Lord.
3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said,
‘I will display my holiness
through those who come near me.
I will display my glory
before all the people.’”
And Aaron was silent.
4 Then Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, Aaron’s cousins, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel. He said to them, “Come forward and carry away the bodies of your relatives from in front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” 5 So they came forward and picked them up by their garments and carried them out of the camp, just as Moses had commanded.
6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombed[a] or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the Lord’s anger will strike the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn because of the Lord’s fiery destruction of Nadab and Abihu. 7 But you must not leave the entrance of the Tabernacle[b] or you will die, for you have been anointed with the Lord’s anointing oil.” So they did as Moses commanded.
Instructions for Priestly Conduct
8 Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9 “You and your descendants must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink before going into the Tabernacle. If you do, you will die. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation. 10 You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. 11 And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the Lord has given them through Moses.”
12 Then Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take what is left of the grain offering after a portion has been presented as a special gift to the Lord, and eat it beside the altar. Make sure it contains no yeast, for it is most holy. 13 You must eat it in a sacred place, for it has been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the special gifts presented to the Lord. These are the commands I have been given. 14 But the breast and thigh that were lifted up as a special offering may be eaten in any place that is ceremonially clean. These parts have been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the peace offerings presented by the people of Israel. 15 You must lift up the thigh and breast as a special offering to the Lord, along with the fat of the special gifts. These parts will belong to you and your descendants as your permanent right, just as the Lord has commanded.”
16 Moses then asked them what had happened to the goat of the sin offering. When he discovered it had been burned up, he became very angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons. 17 “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sacred area?” he demanded. “It is a holy offering! The Lord has given it to you to remove the guilt of the community and to purify the people, making them right with the Lord.[c] 18 Since the animal’s blood was not brought into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the meat in the sacred area as I ordered you.”
19 Then Aaron answered Moses, “Today my sons presented both their sin offering and their burnt offering to the Lord. And yet this tragedy has happened to me. If I had eaten the people’s sin offering on such a tragic day as this, would the Lord have been pleased?” 20 And when Moses heard this, he was satisfied.
Leviticus 10
International Standard Version
Nadab and Abihu(A)
10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own censer, placed fire in it, covered it with incense, and brought it into the Lord’s presence as unauthorized fire that he had never prescribed for them. 2 As a result, fire came out from the Lord’s presence and incinerated them. They died while in the Lord’s presence. 3 Moses spoke with Aaron about what the Lord had said: “Among those who are near me, I’ll show myself holy so that I’ll be glorified before all people.” So Aaron remained silent.
After the Deaths of Nadab and Abihu
4 Then Moses called on Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, Aaron’s uncle, and said, “Come here and carry your brothers away from the sanctuary, outside the camp.” 5 So they approached to carry them in their tunics outside the camp, just as Moses had commanded.
6 Then Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “You are not to loosen the hair of your head and you are not to rend your clothes. That way, you won’t die and wrath won’t come on the entire congregation. Your brothers and the assembly[a] of Israel will mourn because of the fire that the Lord kindled. 7 Also, you are not to leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Otherwise, you’ll die, since the Lord’s anointing oil remains on you.” So they followed Moses’ instructions.
Prohibitions against Drinking Wine
8 Then the Lord told Aaron, 9 “You and your sons with you are not to drink wine—that is, any intoxicating drink—when you enter the Tent of Meeting. That way, you won’t die. This is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 10 You are to differentiate between what’s sacred and common and between what’s unclean and clean. 11 You are to teach the Israelis all the statutes that the Lord commanded you by the authority of Moses.”
Additional Orders for Offerings
12 Then Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the leftovers from the grain offering and the offerings made by fire and eat the unleavened bread beside the altar, because it is most holy to the Lord. 13 Eat at a sacred place, because it’s your and your sons’ prescribed portions. It’s from the offering made by fire to the Lord, since I’ve commanded it. 14 As to the breast and thigh raised offerings, you and your sons and daughters with you may eat them[b] at a clean place, because they belong to you and are your sons’ prescribed portions and were taken from the sacrifices of peace offering presented by the Israelis. 15 They are to bring the thigh offering, the breast raised offering, and the offerings made by fire from the fat to wave as a raised offering in the Lord’s presence. It will be a perpetual portion for you and your sons with you, just as the Lord commanded.”
Confusion Occurs, but is Resolved
16 Now Moses diligently sought for the goat that had been offered as a sin offering, but it had already been incinerated, so he was angry with Aaron’s sons who remained. He asked Eleazar and Ithamar, 17 “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering at the sacred place? It’s most holy and he has given it to you so that you may bear the punishment for the iniquity of the entire congregation and make atonement for them in the Lord’s presence. 18 Look! Its blood wasn’t brought inside the sanctuary. You were to have eaten it in the sanctuary, just as I commanded.”
19 But Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they’ve offered their sin and whole burnt offerings in the Lord’s presence. Yet things such as these have happened to me. Had I eaten the sin offering today, would that have pleased the Lord?”[c]
20 When Moses heard that explanation, he was pleased.
Footnotes
- Leviticus 10:6 Lit. house
- Leviticus 10:14 The Heb. lacks them
- Leviticus 10:19 Lit. have been pleasing in the Lord’s sight?
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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