Leviticus

1Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them.

2Fire came out from before the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of, saying,‘I will show myself holy to those who come near me,and before all the people I will be glorified.’”Aaron held his peace.

4Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”

5So they came near, and carried them in their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

6Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Don’t let the hair of your heads go loose, and don’t tear your clothes, so that you don’t die, and so that he will not be angry with all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled.

7You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; for the anointing oil of the LORD is on you.” They did according to the word of Moses.

8Then the LORD said to Aaron,

9“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.

10You are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.

11You are to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.”

12Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, “Take the meal offering that remains of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most holy;

13and you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your portion, and your sons’ portion, of the offerings of the LORD made by fire; for so I am commanded.

14The waved breast and the heaved thigh you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they are given as your portion, and your sons’ portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the children of Israel.

15They shall bring the heaved thigh and the waved breast with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD. It shall be yours, and your sons’ with you, as a portion forever, as the LORD has commanded.”

16Moses diligently enquired about the goat of the sin offering, and, behold,it was burnt. He was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying,

17“Why haven’t you eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is most holy, and he has given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

18Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.”

19Aaron spoke to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things as these have happened to me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing in the LORD’s sight?”

20When Moses heard that, it was pleasing in his sight.

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

1Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorizedfire before the LORD, contrary to His command.

2So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD.

3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near MeI will show My holiness,and in the sight of all the peopleI will reveal My glory.’” But Aaron remained silent.

4Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan,sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here; carry the bodies of your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.”

5So they came forward and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses had directed.

6Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become disheveledand do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be angry with the whole congregation. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn on account of the fire that the LORD has ignited.

7You shall not go outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, or you will die, for the LORD’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses instructed.

Restrictions for Priests

8Then the LORD said to Aaron,

9“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink when you enter the Tent of Meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute for the generations to come.

10You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,

11so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.”

12And Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that remains from the food offerings to the LORD and eat it without leaven beside the altar, because it is most holy.

13You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings to the LORD; for this is what I have been commanded.

14And you and your sons and daughters may eat the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution in a ceremonially clean place, because these portions have been assigned to you and your children from the peace offerings of the sons of Israel.

15They are to bring the thigh of the contribution and the breast of the wave offering, together with the fat portions of the food offerings, to wave as a wave offering before the LORD. It will belong permanently to you and your children, as the LORD has commanded.”

16Later, Moses searched carefully for the goat of the sin offering, and behold, 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 in the holy place? For it is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the congregation by making atonement for them before the LORD.

18Since its blood was not brought inside the holy place, you should have eaten it in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.”

19But Aaron replied to Moses, “Behold, this very day 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 sight of the LORD?”

20And when Moses heard this explanation, he was satisfied.