Leviticus 10

₁Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their incense pans and they filled them with hot coals from the fire. They put incense on top of them and they took them to the altar. But the Lord had not told them to use that fire. ₂Then fire came from the altar and it burnt the 2 sons of Aaron. They died there before the Lord. ₃Then Moses said to Aaron: ‘This is what the Lord meant when He said:

Aaron did not say anything. ₄Aaron had an uncle, Uzziel, whose sons were Mishael and Elzaphan. Moses called them and said to them: ‘Come and take your cousins away from the tent. Take them outside the camp.’

₅Mishael and Elzaphan came and they took Nadab and Abihu out of the camp as Moses had told them. Nadab and Abihu were still wearing their priestly clothes. ₆Then Moses said to Aaron and his other sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: ‘Keep your hair neat, and do not tear your clothes to show that you mourn, because if you do, then you will die and the Lord will be angry with all of the Israelites. But the other priests and Israelites may cry because the Lord made Nadab and Abihu burn and die. ₇You may not go away from the entrance of the tent where the Lord appears to the Israelites, because the anointing-oil of the Lord is on you.’ Aaron and his sons did what Moses had said.

₈The Lord said to Aaron: ₉‘You and your sons may not drink wine or beer when you come to the tent where I appear to the Israelites. If you do, you will die. You and your descendants may never do this. ₁₀There are things that are consecrated to the Lord and there are things that are not consecrated. You must show that you are not the same as other people. There are things that are impure and there are things that are pure. You must show that you are not the same as other people. ₁₁You must teach the Israelites everything that I want them to do. I have sent Moses to tell these things to the Israelites.’

₁₂Aaron had 2 sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, who were still_alive. Moses said to Aaron and his sons: ‘You must take the grain-offering that was left over from the fire-offerings to the Lord and you must eat it next to the altar because it is most_holy. There may be no yeast in the bread for the grain-offering, ₁₃and you must eat it at a holy place. This is the part that you and your sons will get for yourselves from the fire-offerings to the Lord, as I said. ₁₄You may take the breast of the animal that is for a move-offering and the leg which is a gift. You and your sons and your daughters must eat it at a pure and clean place. This is the part that you must get from the meal-offerings of the Israelites. ₁₅They must bring the leg, which is a gift, and the breast of the move-offering with the fat from the fire-offering, and they must move it in front of the Lord as a move-offering. This is the part that you and your children must always get. This is what God has said.’

₁₆When Moses asked them where the goat was that was for the sin-offering, they told him that they had already burnt the goat. Moses was very angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were still_alive. Moses said: ₁₇‘You had to eat the sin-offering in the holy place. Why did you not eat it there? You should have because it is most_holy and the Lord has given it to you to take away the sins of the people and to make atonement for them before the Lord. ₁₈No one took the blood of that goat into the tent where the Lord appeared to the Israelites. You had to eat it in the holy place, as I said.’

₁₉Aaron said to Moses: ‘Listen, they have sacrificed their sin-offering and their burnt-offering to the Lord today, but you know what happened to me today. Do you think the Lord would have been pleased with me if I had eaten the sin-offering? No.’ ₂₀When Moses heard what Aaron said, he was not angry anymore.