Old Testament · Leviticus

Leviticus 10

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

(Numbers 3:1–4)

1And the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, took each man^a his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense on it, and brought near before the LORD strange fire, which he had not commanded^b them. 2And fire came out from before the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

3And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying, 'Through those near to me I will be sanctified, and before the face of all the people I will be glorified.'" And Aaron was silent.

4And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Draw near, carry your brothers from before the holy place to outside the camp." 5And they drew near, and carried them in their tunics to outside the camp, as Moses had spoken.

6And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, "Do not let your heads go loose, and do not tear your garments, that you do not die, and that he be not wroth with all the congregation; but your brothers, the whole house of Israel, shall bewail the burning which the LORD has burned. 7And from the opening of the tent^c of appointed time (mo-ed) you shall not go out, lest you die; for the oil of the anointing of the LORD is on you." And they did according to the word of Moses.

Restrictions for Priests

8And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying: 9"Wine and strong drink you shall not drink, you and your sons with you, when you go into the tent of appointed time (mo-ed), that you do not die; it is a statute^d forever throughout your generations; 10and to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; 11and to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes^e which the LORD has spoken to them by the hand of Moses."

12And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons that were left, "Take the meal-offering that remains from the fire-offerings of the LORD, and eat it unleavened beside the altar; for it is most holy. 13And you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your statute^f and the statute of your sons, from the fire-offerings of the LORD; for so I am commanded.

14And the breast of the wave-offering and the thigh of the heave-offering you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you; for as your statute and the statute of your sons they are given, from the sacrifices of the peace-offerings of the sons of Israel. 15The thigh of the heave-offering and the breast of the wave-offering, on the fire-offerings of the fat they shall bring, to wave as a wave-offering before the LORD; and it shall be for you and for your sons with you, for a statute forever, as the LORD commanded."

16And the goat of the sin-offering Moses diligently sought, and behold, it was burned; and he was wroth with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron that were left, saying: 17"Why did you not eat the sin-offering in the place of the holy, since it is most holy, and he gave 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 holy place within; you should surely have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded."

19And Aaron spoke to Moses, "Behold, this day they brought near their sin-offering and their burnt-offering before the LORD, and such things as these have befallen me; and if I had eaten a sin-offering today, would it have been good in the eyes of the LORD?"

20And Moses heard, and it was good in his eyes.