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10 ¶ And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer and put fire therein and put incense thereon and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he had never commanded them.

And there went out fire from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

¶ Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is what the LORD spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in those that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron was silent.

And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.

So they went near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said.

Then Moses said unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Do not uncover your heads, neither rend your clothes lest ye die and lest wrath come upon the whole congregation; but your brethren, the whole house of Israel, shall lament the burning which the LORD has done.

And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, lest ye die; for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.

¶ And the LORD spoke unto Aaron, saying,

Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee when ye go into the tabernacle of the testimony, lest ye die; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations;

10 and this is that ye may discern between the holy and the profane and between the unclean and the clean

11 and that ye may teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

12 ¶ And Moses spoke unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the present that remains of the offerings on fire unto the LORD and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy:

13 Ye must, therefore, eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due and thy sons’ due of the offerings of the LORD on fire; for so I am commanded.

14 And the waved breast and elevated shoulder shall ye likewise eat in a clean place, thou and thy sons and thy daughters with thee; for they are thy due and thy sons’ due, which are given out of the sacrifices of the peace of the sons of Israel.

15 With the offerings of the fat which are to be lit on fire, they shall bring the shoulder which is to be elevated and the breast which shall be waved as a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine and thy sons’ with thee by a perpetual statute, as the LORD has commanded.

16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin, and, behold, it was burnt up, and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left alive, saying,

17 Why have ye not eaten of the atonement for sin in the holy place? For it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, that they may be reconciled before the LORD.

18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the inner sanctuary; ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.

19 And Aaron replied unto Moses, Behold, today they have offered their sin and their burnt offering before the LORD; with all this, these things have befallen me; therefore if I had eaten of the atonement for sin today, would it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?

20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.

The Death of Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu(A) took their censers,(B) put fire in them(C) and added incense;(D) and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord,(E) contrary to his command.(F) So fire came out(G) from the presence of the Lord and consumed them,(H) and they died before the Lord.(I) Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

“‘Among those who approach me(J)
    I will be proved holy;(K)
in the sight of all the people
    I will be honored.(L)’”

Aaron remained silent.

Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan,(M) sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel,(N) and said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp,(O) away from the front of the sanctuary.(P) So they came and carried them, still in their tunics,(Q) outside the camp, as Moses ordered.

Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar,(R) “Do not let your hair become unkempt[a](S) and do not tear your clothes,(T) or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community.(U) But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn(V) for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting(W) or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil(X) is on you.” So they did as Moses said.

Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons are not to drink wine(Y) or other fermented drink(Z) whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance(AA) for the generations to come, 10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,(AB) 11 and so you can teach(AC) the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.(AD)

12 Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering(AE) left over from the food offerings prepared without yeast and presented to the Lord and eat it beside the altar,(AF) for it is most holy. 13 Eat it in the sanctuary area,(AG) because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord; for so I have been commanded.(AH) 14 But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast(AI) that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place;(AJ) they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings. 15 The thigh(AK) that was presented and the breast that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of the food offerings, to be waved before the Lord as a wave offering.(AL) This will be the perpetual share for you and your children, as the Lord has commanded.”

16 When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering[b](AM) and found that it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and asked, 17 “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering(AN) in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt(AO) of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. 18 Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place,(AP) you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.(AQ)

19 Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering(AR) before the Lord, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?” 20 When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 10:6 Or Do not uncover your heads
  2. Leviticus 10:16 Or purification offering; also in verses 17 and 19