Leviticus 10:1–20:2

The Lord Kills Nadab and Abihu

10Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron’s sons. They got their shallow cups for burning incense. They put fire in them. They added incense to it. They made an offering to the Lord by using fire that wasn’t allowed. They did it against his command. ²So the Lord sent fire on them. It burned them up. They died in front of the Lord.

³Then Moses spoke to Aaron. He said, “That’s what the Lord was talking about when he said,

“ ‘Among those who approach me

I will show that I am holy.

In the sight of all of the people

I will be honored.’ ”

So Aaron remained silent.

⁴Moses sent for Mishael and Elzaphan. They were sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel. Moses said to them, “Come here. Carry the bodies of your cousins outside the camp. Take them away from in front of the Holy Room.” ⁵So they came and carried them outside the camp. It was just as Moses had ordered. The bodies of Nadab and Abihu still had their inner robes on them.

⁶Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s sons. Moses said, “Don’t let your hair hang loose. Don’t tear your clothes. If you do, you will die. And the Lord will be angry with the whole community.

“But all of the people of Israel are allowed to show they are sad. They are your relatives. They can sob over those the Lord has destroyed with fire.

⁷“Don’t leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. If you do, you will die. That’s because the Lord’s anointing oil has made you holy.” So they did what Moses told them to do.

⁸Then the Lord spoke to Aaron. He said, ⁹“You and your sons must not drink any kind of wine when you go into the Tent of Meeting. If you do, you will die. That is a law that will last for all time to come.

¹⁰“You must be able to tell the difference between what is holy and what is not. You must be able to tell the difference between what is ‘clean’ and what is not. ¹¹You must teach the people of Israel all of the rules I have given them through Moses.”

¹²Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s two remaining sons. Moses said, “Take the grain offering that is left over from the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. It is very holy. Make bread without yeast from it. Eat it beside the altar. ¹³Eat it in a holy place. It’s your share and your sons’ share of the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. Those rules are in keeping with the command the Lord gave me.

¹⁴“But you and your sons and your daughters can eat the breast that was waved. You can also eat the thigh that was offered. Eat them in a place that is ‘clean.’ They have been given to you and your children. They are your share of the friendship offerings the people of Israel bring.

¹⁵“The thigh that was offered must be brought together with the fat parts of the offerings that are made with fire. The breast that was waved must be brought in the same way. All of it must be lifted up and waved in front of the Lord as a wave offering. It will be the regular share for you and your children. That’s what the Lord has commanded.”

¹⁶Moses asked about the goat that was brought as the sin offering. He found out that it had been burned up. So he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar. They were Aaron’s two remaining sons.

Moses asked them, ¹⁷“Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in a place that is near the Holy Room? The offering is very holy. It was given to you to take the people’s guilt away. It paid for their sin in the sight of the Lord. ¹⁸The blood of the offering wasn’t taken into the Holy Room. So you should have eaten the goat in a place that is near the Holy Room. That’s what I commanded.”

¹⁹Aaron replied to Moses, “Today the people sacrificed their sin offering to the Lord. They also sacrificed their burnt offerings to him. But a terrible thing has happened to me. Two of my sons have died. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?” ²⁰When Moses heard that, he was satisfied.

Food That Is “Clean” and Food That Is Not

11The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said to them, ²“Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, ‘Many animals live on land. Here are the only ones you can eat. ³You can eat any animal that has hoofs that are separated completely in two. But it must also chew the cud.

⁴“ ‘Some animals only chew the cud. Some only have hoofs that are separated in two. You must not eat those animals.

“ ‘Camels chew the cud. But their hoofs are not separated in two. So they are not “clean” for you.

⁵“ ‘Rock badgers chew the cud. But their hoofs are not separated in two. So they are not “clean” for you.

⁶“ ‘Rabbits chew the cud. But their hoofs are not separated in two. So they are not “clean” for you.

⁷“ ‘Pigs have hoofs that are separated completely in two. But they do not chew the cud. So they are not “clean” for you.

⁸“ ‘You must not eat the meat of those animals. You must not even touch their dead bodies. They are not “clean” for you.

⁹“ ‘Many creatures live in the water of the oceans and streams. You can eat all of those that have fins and scales.

¹⁰“ ‘But be sure to avoid all of the creatures in the oceans or streams that do not have fins and scales. That includes all of those that move together in groups and all of those that do not. ¹¹Be sure to avoid them. Do not eat their meat. Do not even touch their dead bodies. ¹²Be sure to avoid everything that lives in the water that does not have fins and scales.

¹³“ ‘Here are the birds you must be sure to avoid. Do not eat them. Be sure to avoid them.

“ ‘They include eagles, vultures and black vultures. ¹⁴They include red kites and all kinds of black kites. ¹⁵They include all kinds of ravens. ¹⁶They include horned owls, screech owls, gulls and all kinds of hawks.

¹⁷“ ‘They include little owls, cormorants and great owls. ¹⁸They include white owls, desert owls and ospreys. ¹⁹They also include storks, hoopoes, bats and all kinds of herons.

²⁰“ ‘Be sure to avoid every flying insect that walks on all fours. ²¹But you can eat some creatures that have wings and walk on all fours. Their legs have joints so they can hop on the ground.

²²“ ‘Here are the insects you can eat. You can eat all kinds of locusts, katydids, crickets and grasshoppers. ²³But be sure to avoid every other creature that has wings and four legs.

²⁴“ ‘You will make yourselves “unclean” if you eat those things. If you touch their dead bodies, you will be “unclean” until evening. ²⁵If a person picks up one of their dead bodies, he must wash his clothes. He will be “unclean” until evening.

²⁶“ ‘Suppose an animal has hoofs that are not separated completely in two. Or suppose an animal does not chew the cud. Then those animals are not “clean” for you. If you touch the dead body of any of them, you will not be “clean.”

²⁷“ ‘Many animals walk on all fours. But those that walk on their paws are not “clean” for you. Anyone who touches their dead bodies will be “unclean” until evening. ²⁸If he picks up their dead bodies, he must wash his clothes. He will be “unclean” until evening. They are not “clean” for him.

²⁹“ ‘Many animals move around on the ground. Here are the ones that are not “clean” for you. They include weasels, rats and all kinds of large lizards. ³⁰They also include geckos, monitor lizards, wall lizards, skinks and chameleons. ³¹Those are the animals that move around on the ground that are not “clean” for you. If you touch their dead bodies, you will be “unclean” until evening.

³²“ ‘Suppose one of them dies and falls on something. Then that article will not be “clean.” It does not matter what it is used for. It does not matter whether it is made out of wood, cloth, hide or black cloth. Put it in water. It will be “unclean” until evening. After that, it will be “clean.”

³³“ ‘Suppose one of those animals falls into a clay pot. Then everything that is in the pot will be “unclean.” You must break the pot. ³⁴Any food that could be eaten but has water on it that came from that pot is not “clean.” And any liquid that could be drunk from it is not “clean.”

³⁵“ ‘Anything that the dead body of one of those animals falls on becomes “unclean.” If it is an oven or cooking pot, break it. It is “unclean.” And you must consider it “unclean.”

³⁶“ ‘But a spring or a well for collecting water remains “clean.” That is true even if the dead body of one of those animals falls into it. But anyone who touches the dead body is not “clean.”

³⁷“ ‘If the dead body falls on any seeds that have not been planted yet, the seeds remain “clean.” ³⁸But suppose water has already been put on the seeds. And suppose the dead body falls on them. Then they are not “clean” for you.

³⁹“ ‘Suppose an animal you are allowed to eat dies. If anyone touches its dead body, he will be “unclean” until evening. ⁴⁰If he eats part of the dead body, he must wash his clothes. He will be “unclean” until evening. If he picks up the dead body, he must wash his clothes. He will be “unclean” until evening.

⁴¹“ ‘Be sure to avoid every creature that moves around on the ground. Do not eat it. ⁴²Do not eat any of those creatures. It does not matter whether they move on their bellies. It does not matter whether they walk on all fours or on many feet. Be sure to avoid them. ⁴³Do not make yourselves “unclean” by eating any of those animals. Do not make yourselves “unclean” because of them. Do not let them make you “unclean.”

⁴⁴“ ‘I am the Lord your God. Set yourselves apart. Be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves “unclean” by eating any creatures that move around on the ground. ⁴⁵I am the Lord. I brought you up out of Egypt to be your God. So be holy, because I am holy.

⁴⁶“ ‘Those are the rules about animals and birds. Those are the rules about every living thing that moves in the water. And those are the rules about every creature that moves around on the ground. ⁴⁷You must be able to tell the difference between what is “clean” and what is not. You must also be able to tell the difference between the living creatures that can be eaten and those that can’t.’ ”

Becoming…