Nadab and Abihu
1Aaron’s sons Nadab10:1 Ex 6:23; 28:1; Nm 3:2,4; 26:60–61; 1Ch 6:3 and Abihu10:1 Ex 24:1 each took his own firepan,10:1 Ex 27:3; 38:3; 1Kg 7:50; 2Kg 25:15; Jr 52:19 put fire in it, placed incense on it,10:1 Ex 30:7–9; Lv 16:12; Nm 16:17,46 and presented unauthorized10:1 Ex 30:9; Nm 3:4; 26:61; Jr 2:25; 3:13; Hs 5:7 fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them to do.
2Then fire came from the Lord10:2 Gn 4:14 and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.10:2 Nm 26:61; Dt 4:24; 2Sm 6:7
3Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has spoken:
I will demonstrate my holiness10:3 Or will be treated as holy10:3 Nm 20:13; Ezk 20:41; 28:22,25; 36:23; 38:16; 39:27
and I will reveal my glory10:3 Or will be glorified10:3 Ex 14:4,17–18; Is 26:15; Ezk 28:22; 39:13; Hg 1:8
before all the people.”
And Aaron remained silent.
4Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan,10:4 Ex 6:22 sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel,10:4 Nm 3:19 and said to them, “Come here and carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.”10:4 Lv 8:17; Heb 13:11–13
5So they came forward and carried them in their tunics outside the camp, as Moses had said.
6Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar,10:6 Ex 6:23 “Do not let your hair hang loose10:6 Lv 13:45; 21:10; Nm 5:18; Jdg 5:2 and do not tear your clothes,10:6 Lv 21:10; Mk 14:63 or else you will die, and the Lord will become angry10:6 Ex 16:20 with the whole community. However, your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may weep10:6 Gn 37:34 over the fire that the Lord caused.
Regulations for Priests
8The Lord spoke to Aaron:
9“You and your sons are not to drink wine10:9 Gn 9:21 or beer10:9 Nm 6:3–4; Dt 7:13; 11:14; Jdg 13:4; Pr 20:1; Ezk 44:21; Dn 1:3–16; 10:3; Am 2:12; Mk 4:23–25; Lk 1:15; Jn 2:1–11; Rm 14:21; 1Tm 3:3,8 when you enter the tent of meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute10:9 Ex 28:43; Lv 11:46 throughout your generations.
12Moses spoke to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: “Take the grain offering that is left over from the food offerings10:12 Dt 18:1 to the Lord, and eat it prepared without yeast beside the altar, because it is especially holy.
13You must eat it in a holy place because it is your portion10:13 Or statute and your sons’ from the food offerings to the Lord, for this is what I was commanded.
14But 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.
15They are to bring the thigh of the contribution and the breast of the presentation offering, together with the food offerings of the fat portions, to present as a presentation offering before the Lord. It will belong permanently10:15 Ex 29:28; 30:21; Lv 6:18,22; 24:9; Nm 18:8,11,19; Jr 5:22 to you and your children, as the Lord commanded.”
16Then Moses inquired carefully 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,
19But 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?”
20When Moses heard this, it was acceptable to him.10:20 Lit acceptable in his sight
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