Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Lord Takes Care of His People
A miktam of David.
16 Protect me, God,
because I trust in you.
2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord.
Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 There are godly people in the world.
I enjoy them.
4 But those who turn to idols will have much pain.
I will not offer blood to those idols.
I won’t even speak their names.
5 No, the Lord is all I need.
He takes care of me.
6 My share in life has been pleasant.
My part has been beautiful.
7 I praise the Lord because he guides me.
Even at night, I feel his leading.
8 I keep the Lord before me always.
Because he is close by my side
I will not be hurt.
9 So I rejoice, and I am glad.
Even my body has hope.
10 This is because you will not leave me in the grave.
You will not let your holy one rot.
11 You will teach me God’s way to live.
Being with you will fill me with joy.
At your right hand I will find pleasure forever.
22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. Aaron had finished offering the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering. Then he stepped down from the altar.
23 Moses and Aaron went into the Meeting Tent. Then they came out and blessed the people. Then the Lord’s glory came to all the people. 24 Fire came out from the Lord. It burned up the burnt offering and fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy. They bowed facedown on the ground.
God Destroys Nadab and Abihu
10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their pans for burning incense. They put fire in them and added incense. But they did not use the special fire Moses had commanded them to use. 2 So fire came down from the Lord and destroyed Nadab and Abihu. They died in front of the Lord. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord was speaking about when he said,
‘I must be respected as holy
by those who come near me.
Before all the people
I must be given honor.’”
So Aaron did not say anything about the death of his sons.
4 Aaron’s uncle Uzziel had two sons named Mishael and Elzaphan. Moses said to them, “Come here. Pick up your cousins’ bodies. Carry them outside the camp away from the front of the Holy Place.” 5 So Mishael and Elzaphan obeyed Moses. They carried the bodies of Nadab and Abihu outside the camp. Nadab and Abihu were still wearing the special priest’s inner robes.
6 Then Moses spoke to Aaron and his other sons, Eleazar and Ithamar. Moses told them, “Don’t show any sadness. Don’t tear your clothes or leave your hair uncombed. If you do those things, you will die, and the Lord will be angry with all the people. All the people of Israel are your relatives. They may cry loudly about the Lord burning Nadab and Abihu. 7 But you must not even leave the Meeting Tent. If you go out of the entrance, you will die! This is because the Lord has appointed you to his service.” So Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar obeyed Moses.
8 Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons must not drink wine or beer when you go into the Meeting Tent. If you do, you will die! This law will continue from now on. 10 You must keep what is holy separate from what is not holy. You must keep what is clean separate from what is unclean. 11 The Lord gave his laws to Moses. And Moses gave them to the people. You must teach the people all the laws.”
5 Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith. You know that Christ Jesus is in you—unless you fail the test. 6 But I hope you will see that we ourselves have not failed the test. 7 We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. It is not important to see that we have passed the test. But it is important that you do what is right, even if it seems that we have failed. 8 We cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 We are happy to be weak, if you are strong. And we pray that you will grow stronger and stronger. 10 I am writing this while I am away from you. I am writing so that when I come I will not have to be harsh in my use of authority. The Lord gave me this authority to use to make you stronger, not to destroy you.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.