Leviticus 10-12

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab^(A) and Abihu^(B) each took his own firepan,^(C) put fire in it, placed incense on it,^(D) and presented unauthorized^(E) fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them to do. ² Then fire came from the Lord^(F) and burned them to death before the Lord.^{(G) 3} So Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when He said:

But Aaron remained silent.

⁴ Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan,^(K) sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel,^(L) and said to them, “Come here and carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.”^{(M) 5} So they came forward and carried them in their tunics outside the camp, as Moses had said.

⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar,^(N) “Do not let your hair hang loose^(O) and do not tear your garments,^(P) or else you will die, and the Lord will become angry^(Q) with the whole community. However, your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn^(R) over that tragedy when the Lord sent the fire. ⁷ You must not go outside the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, for the Lord’s anointing oil^(S) is on you.” So they did as Moses said.

Regulations for Priests

⁸ The Lord spoke to Aaron: ⁹ “You and your sons are not to drink wine^(T) or beer^(U) when you enter the tent of meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute^(V) throughout your generations. ¹⁰ You must distinguish^(W) between the holy and the common,^(X) and the clean and the unclean,^{(Y) 11} and teach the Israelites all the statutes^(Z) that the Lord has given to them through Moses.”

¹² Moses spoke to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: “Take the grain offering that is left over from the fire offerings^(AA) to the Lord, and eat it prepared without yeast beside the altar, because it is especially holy. ¹³ You must eat it in a holy place because it is your portion^[c] and your sons’ from the fire offerings to the Lord, for this is what I was commanded. ¹⁴ But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast of the presentation offering and the thigh of the contribution in any ceremonially clean place, because these portions have been assigned to you and your children from the Israelites’ fellowship sacrifices. ¹⁵ They are to bring the thigh of the contribution and the breast of the presentation offering, together with the offerings of fat portions made by fire, to wave as a presentation offering before the Lord. It will belong permanently^(AB) to you and your children, as the Lord commanded.”

¹⁶ Later, Moses inquired about the male goat of the sin offering, but it had already been burned up. He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s surviving sons, and asked, ¹⁷ “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area?^(AC) For it is especially holy, and He has assigned it to you to take away the guilt^(AD) of the community^(AE) and make atonement for them before the Lord. ¹⁸ Since its blood was not brought inside the sanctuary, you should have eaten it in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.”^(AF)

¹⁹ But Aaron replied to Moses, “See, today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord. Since these things have happened to me, if I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been acceptable in the Lord’s sight?” ²⁰ When Moses heard this, it was acceptable to him.^[d]

Clean and Unclean Land Animals

11 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: ² “Tell the Israelites: You may eat^(AG) all these kinds of land animals.^{(AH) 3} You may eat any animal with divided hooves and that chews the cud. ⁴ But among the ones that chew the cud or have divided hooves you are not to eat these:

⁸ Do not eat any of their meat or touch their carcasses—they are unclean for you.^(AK)

Clean and Unclean Aquatic Animals

⁹ “This is what you may eat from all that is in the water: You may eat everything in the water that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or streams. ¹⁰ But these are to be detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales among all the swarming things and other living creatures^(AL) in the water. ¹¹ They are to remain detestable to you; you must not eat any of their meat, and you must detest their carcasses. ¹² Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales will be detestable to you.

Unclean Birds

¹³ “You are to detest these birds. They must not be eaten because they are detestable:

Clean and Unclean Flying Insects

²⁰ “All winged insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. ²¹ But you may eat these kinds of all the winged insects that walk on all fours: those that have jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground. ²² You may eat these:

²³ All other winged insects that have four feet are to be detestable to you.

Purification after Touching Dead Animals

²⁴ “These will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean^(AS) until evening, ²⁵ and whoever carries any of their carcasses must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.^{(AT) 26} All animals that have hooves but do not have a divided hoof and do not chew the cud are unclean for you. Whoever touches them becomes unclean. ²⁷ All the four-footed animals^(AU) that walk on their paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening, ²⁸ and anyone who carries their carcasses must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.

²⁹ “These creatures that swarm^(AV) on the ground are unclean for you:

³¹ These are unclean for you among all the swarming creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening. ³² When any one of them dies and falls on anything it becomes unclean—any item of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth,^(AX) or any implement used for work. It is to be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean. ³³ If any of them falls into any clay pot, everything in it will become unclean; you must break it. ³⁴ Any edible food^(AY) coming into contact with that unclean water will become unclean, and any drinkable liquid in any container will become unclean. ³⁵ Anything one of their carcasses falls on will become unclean. If it is an oven or stove, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you. ³⁶ A spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but someone who touches a carcass in it will become unclean. ³⁷ If one of their carcasses falls on any seed that is to be sown, it is clean; ³⁸ but if water has been put on the seed and one of their carcasses falls on it, it is unclean for you.

³⁹ “If one of the animals that you use for food dies,^[ab] anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean until evening. ⁴⁰ Anyone who eats some of its carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening. Anyone who carries its carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.

Unclean Swarming Creatures

⁴¹ “All the creatures that swarm on the earth are detestable; they must not be eaten. ⁴² Do not eat any of the creatures that swarm on the earth, anything that moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet,^[ac] for they are detestable. ⁴³ Do not become contaminated by any creature that swarms; do not become unclean or defiled by them. ⁴⁴ For I am Yahweh your God,^(AZ) so you must consecrate yourselves^(BA) and be holy because I am holy.^(BB) You must not defile yourselves by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground. ⁴⁵ For I am Yahweh, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God,^(BC) so you must be holy because I am holy.^(BD)

⁴⁶ “This is the law concerning animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that swarm on the ground, ⁴⁷ in order to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between the animals^(BE) that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.”

Purification after Childbirth

12 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “Tell the Israelites: When a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a male child,^(BF) she will be unclean seven days, as she is during the days of her menstrual impurity.^{(BG) 3} The flesh of his foreskin^(BH) must be circumcised^(BI) on the eighth day.^{(BJ) 4} She will continue in purification^(BK) from her bleeding^(BL) for 33 days. She must not touch any holy thing or go into the sanctuary until completing her days of purification. ⁵ But if she gives birth to a female child, she will be unclean for two weeks as she is during her menstrual impurity. She will continue in purification from her bleeding for 66 days.

⁶ “When her days of purification are complete, whether for a son or daughter, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin^[ad] offering. ⁷ He will present them before the Lord and make atonement on her behalf; she will be clean from her discharge of blood. This is the law for a woman giving birth, whether to a male or female. ⁸ But if she doesn’t have sufficient means^[ae](BM) for a sheep, she may take two turtledoves or two young pigeons,^(BN) one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin^[af] offering. Then the priest will make atonement on her behalf, and she will be clean.”