Leviticus 10:1-20 (Berean Study Bible)

183

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

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

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

3. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said:

‘To those who come near Me
I will show My holiness,
and in the sight of all the people
I will reveal My glory.’”

But Aaron remained silent.

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

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

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

7. Do not go out from the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, or you will die, for the LORD’s anointing oil is upon you.” So they did as Moses said.

Restrictions for Priests

8. Then the LORD said to Aaron,

9. “Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, when you enter the Tent of Meeting, or you will die; this is a permanent statute for the generations to come.

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

11. and teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.”

12. Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering left over from the LORD’s offerings by fire and eat it prepared without yeast beside the altar, for it is most holy.

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

14. But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution in any clean place, because these have been assigned to you and your children as your perpetual share from the peace offerings of the Israelites.

15. The thigh that was presented and the breast that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of the offerings made by fire to be waved as a wave offering before the LORD. This will be a perpetual share for you and your children, as the LORD has commanded.”

16. But Moses searched carefully for the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it had been burned up! So he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s surviving sons, and asked,

17. “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? For 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.

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

19. And Aaron replied to Moses, “Behold, today they presented their sin offering and burnt offering before the LORD, but such things as these have happened to me. Would the LORD have approved if I had eaten the sin offering today?”

20. When Moses heard this, it was acceptable to him.