Nadab and Abihu
1Aaron’s sons Nadab Ex 6:23; 28:1; Nm 3:2,4; 26:60-61; 1Ch 6:3 and Abihu Ex 24:1 each took his own firepan, Ex 27:3; 38:3; 1Kg 7:50; 2Kg 25:15; Jr 52:19 put fire in it, placed incense on it, Ex 30:7-9; Lv 16:12; Nm 16:17,46 and presented unauthorized Ex 30:9; Nm 3:4; 26:61; Jr 2:25; 3:13; Hs 5:7 fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them to do.
2Then fire came from the Lord Gn 4:14 and burned them to death before the Lord. Nm 26:61; Dt 4:24; 2Sm 6:7
3So Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when He said:
I will show My holiness Or will be treated as holy Nm 20:13; Ezk 20:41; 28:22,25; 36:23; 38:16; 39:27
to those who are near Me, Dt 30:14; Heb 7:19
and I will reveal My glory Or will be glorified Ex 14:4,17-18; Is 26:15; Ezk 28:22; 39:13; Hg 1:8
before all the people.”
But Aaron remained silent.
4Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, Ex 6:22 sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, Nm 3:19 and said to them, “Come here and carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” Lv 8:17; Heb 13:11-13
5So they came forward and carried them in their tunics outside the camp, as Moses had said.
6Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, Ex 6:23 “Do not let your hair hang loose Lv 13:45; 21:10; Nm 5:18; Jdg 5:2 and do not tear your garments, Lv 21:10; Mk 14:63 or else you will die, and the Lord will become angry Ex 16:20 with the whole community. However, your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn Gn 37:34 over that tragedy when the Lord sent the fire.
7You must not go outside the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, for the Lord’s anointing oil Ex 29:7; Lv 21:12 is on you.” So they did as Moses said.
Regulations for Priests
8The Lord spoke to Aaron:
9“You and your sons are not to drink wine Gn 9:21 or beer Nm 6:3-4; Dt 7:13; 11:14; Jdg 13:4; Pr 20:1; Ezk 44:21; Dn 1:3-16; 10:3; Am 2:12; Mk 4:23-25; Lk 1:15; Jn 2:1-11; Rm 14:21; 1Tm 3:3,8 when you enter the tent of meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute Ex 28:43; Lv 11:46 throughout your generations.
10You must distinguish Lv 20:25 between the holy and the common, Ezk 22:26; 42:20; 44:23; 48:15; Ac 10:28 and the clean and the unclean, Lv 11:4; Nm 19:13
11and teach the Israelites all the statutes Gn 47:26 that the Lord has given to them through Moses.”
12Moses spoke to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: “Take the grain offering that is left over from the fire offerings Dt 18:1 to the Lord, and eat it prepared without yeast beside the altar, because it is especially holy.
13You must eat it in a holy place because it is your portion Or statute and your sons’ from the fire offerings to the Lord, for this is what I was commanded.
14But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast of the presentation offering and the thigh of the contribution in any ceremonially clean place, because these portions have been assigned to you and your children from the Israelites’ fellowship sacrifices.
15They are to bring the thigh of the contribution and the breast of the presentation offering, together with the offerings of fat portions made by fire, to wave as a presentation offering before the Lord. It will belong permanently Ex 29:28; 30:21; Lv 6:11,15; 24:9; Nm 18:8,11,19; Jr 5:22 to you and your children, as the Lord commanded.”
16Later, Moses inquired about the male goat of the sin offering, but it had already been burned up. 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? Lv 6:26,29 For it is especially holy, and He has assigned it to you to take away the guilt Nm 5:31 of the community Ex 28:38; Hs 14:2; Jn 1:29 and make atonement for them before the Lord.
18Since its blood was not brought inside the sanctuary, you should have eaten it in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.” Lv 6:26,29-30
19But Aaron replied to Moses, “See, today 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 Lord’s sight? ”
20When Moses heard this, it was acceptable to him. Lit acceptable in his sight
Holman Christian Standard Bible®
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