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.”

12 And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left: m“Take the grain offering that remains of the offerings made by fire to the Lord, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; nfor it is most holy. 13 You shall eat it in a oholy place, because it is your 4due and your sons’ due, of the sacrifices made by fire to the Lord; for pso I have been commanded. 14 qThe breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering you shall eat in a clean place, you, your sons, and your rdaughters with you; for they are your due and your sons’ sdue, which are given from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel. 15 tThe thigh of the heave offering and the breast of the wave offering they shall bring with the offerings of fat made by fire, to offer as a wave offering before the Lord. And it shall be yours and your sons’ with you, by a statute forever, as the Lord has commanded.”

16 Then Moses made careful inquiry about uthe goat of the sin offering, and there it was—burned up. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying, 17 v“Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear wthe guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? 18 See! xIts blood was not brought inside 5the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, yas I commanded.”

19 And Aaron said to Moses, “Look, zthis day they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things have befallen me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, awould it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord?” 20 So when Moses heard that, he was content.