Leviticus 10

Chapter 10

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded.

2 So fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the LORD.

3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when he said,
‘I will display my holiness
through those who come near me.
I will display my glory
before all the people.’”
And Aaron was silent.
4 Then Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, Aaron’s cousins, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel. He said to them, “Come forward and carry away the bodies of your relatives from in front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.”

5 So they came forward and picked them up by their garments and carried them out of the camp, just as Moses had commanded.
6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombedt or by tearing your clothes. If you do, you will die, and the LORD’s anger will strike the whole community of Israel. However, the rest of the Israelites, your relatives, may mourn because of the LORD’s fiery destruction of Nadab and Abihu.

7 But you must not leave the entrance of the Tabernaclet or you will die, for you have been anointed with the LORD’s anointing oil.” So they did as Moses commanded.

Instructions for Priestly Conduct

8 Then the LORD said to Aaron,9 “You and your descendants must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink before going into the Tabernacle. If you do, you will die. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation.10 You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean.

11 And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the LORD has given them through Moses.”
12 Then Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take what is left of the grain offering after a portion has been presented as a special gift to the LORD, and eat it beside the altar. Make sure it contains no yeast, for it is most holy.13 You must eat it in a sacred place, for it has been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the special gifts presented to the LORD. These are the commands I have been given.14 But the breast and thigh that were lifted up as a special offering may be eaten in any place that is ceremonially clean. These parts have been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the peace offerings presented by the people of Israel.

15 You must lift up the thigh and breast as a special offering to the LORD, along with the fat of the special gifts. These parts will belong to you and your descendants as your permanent right, just as the LORD has commanded.”
16 Moses then asked them what had happened to the goat of the sin offering. When he discovered it had been burned up, he became very angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons.17 “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sacred area?” he demanded. “It is a holy offering! The LORD has given it to you to remove the guilt of the community and to purify the people, making them right with the LORD.t

18 Since the animal’s blood was not brought into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the meat in the sacred area as I ordered you.”
19 Then Aaron answered Moses, “Today my sons presented both their sin offering and their burnt offering to the LORD. And yet this tragedy has happened to me. If I had eaten the people’s sin offering on such a tragic day as this, would the LORD have been pleased?”

20 And when Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

LEVITICUS 10

Nadab and Abihu

1 Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron's sons, but they disobeyed the [Lord] by burning incense to him on a fire pan, when they were not supposed to.t 2 Suddenly the [Lord] sent fiery flames and burned them to death.

3 Then Moses told Aaron that this was exactly what the [Lord] had meant when he said:
“I demand respect
from my priests,
and I will be praised
by everyone!”
Aaron was speechless.
4 Moses sent for Mishael and Elzaphan, the two sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel. Then he told them, “Take these two dead relatives of yours outside the camp far from the entrance to the sacred tent.”

5 So they dragged the dead men away by their clothes.

6 Then Moses told Aaron and his other two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar:
Don't show your sorrow by messing up your hair and tearing your priestly clothes, or the [Lord] will get angry. He will kill the three of you and punish everyone else. It's all right for your relatives, the people of Israel, to mourn for those he destroyed by fire.

7 But you are the [Lord]'s chosen priests, and you must not leave the sacred tent, or you will die.
Aaron and his two sons obeyed Moses.

8 The [Lord] said to Aaron:
9 When you or your sons enter the sacred tent, you must never drink beer or wine. If you do, you will die right there! This law will never change. 10 You must learn the difference between what is holy and what isn't holy and between the clean and the unclean.

11 You must also teach the people of Israel everything that I commanded Moses to say to them.

12  t Moses told Aaron and his two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar:
The grain sacrifice that was offered to give thanks to the [Lord]t is very holy. So make bread without yeast from the part that wasn't sent up in smoke and eat it beside the altar. 13 The [Lord] has said that this belongs to you and your sons, and that it must be eaten in a holy place.

14-15 t But the choice ribs and the hind leg that were lifted upt may be eaten by your entire family, as long as you do so in an acceptable place.t These parts are yours from the sacrifices that the people offer to ask the [Lord]'s blessing.t This is what the [Lord] has commanded, and it will never change.
16 When Moses asked around and learned that the ram for the sin sacrifice had already been burned on the altar, he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar and said, 17 t “Why didn't you eat the meat from this sacrifice in an acceptable place? It is very holy, and the [Lord] has given you this sacrifice to remove Israel's sin and guilt.

18 Whenever an animal's blood isn't brought into the sacred tent, I commanded you to eat its meat in an acceptable place, but you burned it instead.”

19 Their father Aaron replied, “Today two of my sons offered the sacrifice for sin and the sacrifice to please the [Lord], and look what has happened to me! Would the [Lord] have approved if I had eaten the sacrifice for sin?”
20 Moses was satisfied with Aaron's reply.