1 A aron’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.

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange and unholy fire before the Lord, as He had not commanded them.

2 S o the Lord sent out fire that burned them up and they died before the Lord.

And there came forth fire from before the Lord and killed them, and they died before the Lord.

3 T hen 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.

Then Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord meant when He said, I will be acknowledged as hallowed by those who come near Me, and before all the people I will be honored. And Aaron said nothing.

4 M oses 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.”

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

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

So they drew near and carried them in their undertunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

6 T hen 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.

And Moses said to Aaron and Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, Do not uncover your heads or let your hair go loose or tear your clothes, lest you die and lest God’s wrath should come upon all the congregation; but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled.

7 D o 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

And you shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die, for the Lord’s anointing oil is upon you. And they did according to Moses’ word.

8 T he Lord said to Aaron,

And the Lord said to Aaron,

9 “ 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.

Do not drink wine or strong drink, you or your sons, when you go into the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; it shall be a statute forever in all your generations.

10 Y ou are to know the difference between what is holy and what is not, and between what is clean and what is not.

You shall make a distinction and recognize a difference between the holy and the common or unholy, and between the unclean and the clean;

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

And you are to teach the Israelites all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.

12 T hen 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.

And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left, Take the cereal offering that remains of the offerings of the Lord made by fire and eat it without leaven beside the altar, for it is most holy.

13 E at 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.

You shall eat it in a sacred place, because it is your due and your sons’ due, from the offerings made by fire to the Lord; for so I am commanded.

14 B ut 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.

But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and daughters with you; for they are your due and your sons’ due, given out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the Israelites.

15 T hey 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.”

The thigh that is offered and the breast that is waved they shall bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave for a wave offering before the Lord; and it shall be yours and your sons’ with you as a portion or due perpetually, as the Lord has commanded.

16 B ut 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,

And Moses diligently tried to find the goat for the sin offering, and behold, it was burned up! And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left alive, and said,

17 “ 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.

Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the Holy Place? It is most holy; and God has given it to you to bear and take away the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord.

18 S ee, 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.”

Behold, the blood of it was not brought within the Holy Place; you should indeed have eaten in the Holy Place, as I commanded.

19 B ut 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?”

But Aaron said to Moses, Behold, this very day in which they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, such have befallen me! If I had eaten the most holy sin offering today, would it have been acceptable in the sight of the Lord?

20 A nd when Moses heard that, he was not angry any more.

And when Moses heard that, he was pacified.