1 T hen Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.

Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and put special perfume on it. They gave a fire that was not holy to the Lord because the Lord had not told them to do this.

2 S o fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.

So the Lord sent out fire that burned them up and they died before the Lord.

3 A nd Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’” So Aaron held his peace.

Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when He said, ‘I will show Myself holy among those who are near Me. I will be honored in front of all the people.’” And Aaron said nothing.

4 T hen Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”

Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the brother of Aaron’s father. He said to them, “Come, carry your brothers away from the holy place and away from the tents.”

5 S o they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

So they came and carried them in their coats away from the tents, as Moses had said.

6 A nd Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled.

Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not take the covering off your heads and do not tear your clothes, so you will not die and God will not be angry with all the people. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, will cry in sorrow because of the burning the Lord has done.

7 Y ou shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses. Conduct Prescribed for Priests

Do not even go out the door of the meeting tent, so you will not die. For the holy oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did what Moses said. How the Religious Leaders Were to Act

8 T hen the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying:

The Lord said to Aaron,

9 “ 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,

“Do not drink wine or strong drink, you or your sons, when you come into the meeting tent, so you will not die. It is a Law forever for all your people.

10 t hat you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean,

You are to know the difference between what is holy and what is not, and between what is clean and what is not.

11 a nd that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”

You are to teach the people of Israel all the Laws which the Lord has told them by Moses.”

12 A nd Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left: “Take the grain offering that remains of the offerings made by fire to the Lord, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy.

Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons who were left, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain gift that is left from the gifts by fire to the Lord. And eat it without yeast beside the altar, for it is most holy.

13 Y ou shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons’ due, of the sacrifices made by fire to the Lord; for so I have been commanded.

Eat it in a holy place, because it is yours and your sons’, from the gifts by fire to the Lord. For so I have been told.

14 T he breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering you shall eat in a clean place, you, your sons, and your daughters with you; for they are your due and your sons’ due, which are given from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

But you and your sons and daughters may eat in a clean place the breast of the wave gift and the thigh that is given. For they are given to you as your right and your sons’ right, from the peace gifts of the people of Israel.

15 T he 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.”

They will bring the thigh that is given and the breast of the wave gift, with the gifts by fire of the fat. They will wave them before the Lord for a wave gift. They will be yours and your sons’, as your right forever, as the Lord has said.”

16 T hen Moses made careful inquiry about the 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,

But Moses looked and looked for the goat of the sin gift, and found that it had been burned up! So he was angry with Aaron’s sons who were left, Eleazar and Ithamar, saying,

17 “ 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 the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord ?

“Why have you not eaten the sin gift in the holy place? For it is most holy and He gave it to you to take away the guilt of the people, to take away their sins before the Lord.

18 S ee! Its blood was not brought inside the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, as I commanded.”

See, its blood has not been brought inside the holy place. You should have been sure to eat it in the holy place, as I told you.”

19 A nd Aaron said to Moses, “Look, this 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, would it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord ?”

But Aaron said to Moses, “See, today they have given their sin gift and their burnt gift to the Lord. When things like these happened to me, if I had eaten a sin gift today, would it have been good in the eyes of the Lord?”

20 S o when Moses heard that, he was content.

And when Moses heard that, he was not angry any more.