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10 And when Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, had taken censers, and putted fire (therein), and incense [there]above, and offered before the Lord alien fire, which thing was not commanded to them. (But then Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, took their censers, and put fire in them, and some incense on it, and offered unholy fire before the Lord, which they were not commanded to do.)

And fire went out from the Lord, and devoured them, and they were dead before the Lord.

And Moses said to Aaron, This thing it is that the Lord spake (This is what the Lord meant when he said), I shall be hallowed in them that nigh to me, and I shall be glorified in the sight of all the people; which thing Aaron heard, and was still.

Soothly when Moses had called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the brother of Aaron’s father, he said to them, Go ye, and take away your brethren from the sight of [the] saintuary, and bear ye them out of the tents (Go ye, and take away your cousins’ bodies from the sanctuary, and take ye them away from the tents).

And anon they went, and took them, as they lay clothed with linen coats, and casted them out, as it was commanded to them. (And at once they went, and took them, as they lay clothed in their linen shirts, or in their linen robes, and cast them out, as it was commanded to them.)

And Moses spake to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron, Do not ye make naked your heads, and do not ye rend your clothes, lest peradventure ye die, and (the) indignation of God rise upon all the company; (but let) your brethren and all the house of Israel bewail the burning which the Lord hath raised up. (And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons, Do not ye make your heads naked, and do not ye tear your clothes, lest ye die, and God’s indignation rise up against all the congregation; but let your brothers and all the house of Israel bewail the burning which the Lord hath raised up.)

But ye shall not go out of the gates of the tabernacle, else ye shall perish; for the oil of holy anointing is on you (But ye shall not leave the entrance to the Tabernacle, for ye shall perish, for the Lord’s anointing oil is upon you). The which did all things by the behest of Moses.

Also the Lord said to Aaron, (And the Lord said to Aaron,)

Thou and thy sons shall not drink wine, and all thing that may make drunken, when ye shall enter into the tabernacle of witnessing, lest ye die; for it is everlasting behest into your generations, (Thou and thy sons shall not drink wine, or anything that can make ye drunk, when ye shall enter into the Tabernacle of the Witnessing, lest ye die; this is an everlasting law for all your generations,)

10 [and] that ye have knowing to make doom betwixt holy thing and unholy, betwixt polluted thing and clean; (so that ye can judge between holy and unholy things, and between unclean, and clean things;)

11 and that ye teach the sons of Israel all my lawful things (and that ye teach the Israelites all my laws), which the Lord spake to them by the hand of Moses.

12 And Moses spake to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his (two) sons that were left, Take ye the sacrifice that (is) left of the offering of the Lord, and eat ye it without sourdough, beside the altar, for it is holy of holy things. (And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his two sons who were left, Take ye the grain offering that is left of the offerings to the Lord, and eat it without yeast, beside the altar, for it is a most holy, or sacred, thing.)

13 Soothly ye shall eat in the holy place that that is given to thee, and to thy sons, of the offerings of the Lord (out of the offerings to the Lord), as it is commanded to me.

14 Also thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee, shall eat in the cleanest place the breast which is offered, and the shoulder which is separated; for those be kept to thee, and to thy free sons, of the healthful sacrifices of the sons of Israel; (And thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee, shall eat in the cleanest place the breast of the special gift, and the shoulder of the special contribution; for they be kept for thee, and for thy sons, out of the peace offerings of the Israelites;)

15 for they raised before the Lord the shoulder and the breast, and the inner fatnesses that be burnt in the altar; and pertain they to thee, and to thy sons, by everlasting law, as the Lord commanded. (for they raised up before the Lord the shoulder, and the breast, and the inner fat that shall be burned on the altar; and they pertain to thee, and to thy sons, by an everlasting law, as the Lord commanded.)

16 Among these things when Moses sought the goat buck that was offered for sin, he found it burnt, and he was wroth against Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons, that were left alive. And he said, (And then Moses inquired about the goat buck for the sin offering, and he found that it had already been burned, and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons, who were left alive. And he said,)

17 Why ate not ye the sacrifice for sin in the holy place, the which sacrifice is holy of holy things, and it is given to you, that ye bear the wickedness of the multitude, and pray for it in the sight of the Lord; (Why did ye not eat the sin offering in the holy place? this offering is a most holy, or sacred, thing, and it is given to you, so that ye carry the wickedness of the multitude, and pray for them before the Lord;)

18 mostly since of the blood thereof is not borne in within [the] holy things, and ye ought to eat it in the saintuary, as it is commanded to me? (mostly since its blood is not brought into the Holy Place, so ye ought to eat it in the sanctuary, as it was commanded to me.)

19 And Aaron answered, Sacrifice for sin, and burnt sacrifice is offered today before the Lord; soothly this thing that thou seest, befelled to me (And Aaron answered, The sin offering, and the burnt sacrifice, were offered today before the Lord, but then this thing that thou saw, befell to me); how might I eat it, either please God in ceremonies, with (such a) sorrowful soul?

20 And when Moses had heard this, he received satisfaction, or covenable answer (or a suitable, or an acceptable, answer).

The Death of Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu(A) took their censers,(B) put fire in them(C) and added incense;(D) and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord,(E) contrary to his command.(F) So fire came out(G) from the presence of the Lord and consumed them,(H) and they died before the Lord.(I) Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

“‘Among those who approach me(J)
    I will be proved holy;(K)
in the sight of all the people
    I will be honored.(L)’”

Aaron remained silent.

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) So they came and carried them, still in their tunics,(Q) outside the camp, as Moses ordered.

Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar,(R) “Do not let your hair become unkempt[a](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 mourn(V) for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting(W) or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil(X) is on you.” So they did as Moses said.

Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons are not to drink wine(Y) or other fermented drink(Z) whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance(AA) for the generations to come, 10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,(AB) 11 and so you can teach(AC) the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.(AD)

12 Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering(AE) left over from the food offerings prepared without yeast and presented to the Lord and eat it beside the altar,(AF) for it is most holy. 13 Eat it in the sanctuary area,(AG) because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord; for so I have been commanded.(AH) 14 But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast(AI) that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place;(AJ) they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings. 15 The thigh(AK) 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.(AL) 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 offering[b](AM) 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 offering(AN) in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt(AO) of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. 18 Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place,(AP) you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.(AQ)

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

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 10:6 Or Do not uncover your heads
  2. Leviticus 10:16 Or purification offering; also in verses 17 and 19