The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

10 Now (A)Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective (B)firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on [a]the fire and offered [b]strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. (C)And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying,

‘By those who (D)come near Me I [c](E)will be treated as holy,
And before all the people I will (F)be honored.’”

So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.

Moses called also to (G)Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come forward, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to an area outside of the camp.” So they came forward and carried them, still in their (H)tunics, to an area outside the camp, just as Moses had said. Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “(I)Do not [d]uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you do not die and He does not (J)become wrathful against all the congregation. But your [e]kinsmen, the entire house of Israel, shall weep for the burning which the Lord has [f]brought about. You shall not even go out from the doorway of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for (K)the Lords anointing oil is upon you.” So they did according to the word of Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 10:1 Lit it
  2. Leviticus 10:1 I.e., unauthorized
  3. Leviticus 10:3 Or will show Myself holy
  4. Leviticus 10:6 Lit unbind
  5. Leviticus 10:6 Lit brothers
  6. Leviticus 10:6 Lit burned

Nadab and Abihu

10 Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and they offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them.(A) And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.(B) Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said,

‘Through those who are near me
    I will show myself holy,
and before all the people
    I will be glorified.’ ”

And Aaron was silent.(C)

Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come forward and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.”(D) They came forward and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had ordered. And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not dishevel your hair and do not tear your vestments, or you will die, and wrath will strike all the congregation; but your kindred, the whole house of Israel, may mourn the burning that the Lord has sent.(E) You shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is on you.” And they did as Moses had ordered.(F)

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