The Death of Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihua took their censers,b put fire in themc and added incense;d and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord,e contrary to his command.f 2 So fire came outg from the presence of the Lord and consumed them,h and they died before the Lord.i 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

“ ‘Among those who approach mej

I will be proved holy;k

in the sight of all the people

I will be honored.l’ ”

Aaron remained silent.

4 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” 5 So they came and carried them, still in their tunics,q outside the camp, as Moses ordered.

6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar,r “Do not let your hair become unkempta 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 mournv for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. 7 Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meetingw or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oilx is on you.” So they did as Moses said.

8 Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons are not to drink winey or other fermented drinkz whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinancea for the generations to come, 10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,b 11 and so you can teachc the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.d”

12 Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offeringe left over from the food offerings prepared without yeast and presented to the Lord and eat it beside the altar,f for it is most holy. 13 Eat it in the sanctuary area,g because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord; for so I have been commanded.h 14 But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breasti that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place;j they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings. 15 The thighk 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.l 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 offeringb m 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 offeringn in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilto of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. 18 Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place,p you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.q”

19 Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offeringr 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.