The Profane Fire of Nadab and Abihu

10 Then Nadab aand Abihu, the sons of Aaron, beach took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered cprofane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 So dfire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying:

‘By those ewho come near Me

I must be regarded as holy;

And before all the people

I must be glorified.’ ”

So Aaron held his peace.

4 Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, fcarry your brethren from 1before the sanctuary out of the camp.” 5 So they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

6 And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not 2uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and gwrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, 3bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled. 7 hYou shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, ifor the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

Conduct Prescribed for Priests

8 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: 9 j“Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, 10 that you may kdistinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, 11 land that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”