Daily Bread

The Death of Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu^(A) took their censers,^(B) put fire in them^(C) and added incense;^(D) and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord,^(E) contrary to his command.^{(F) 2} So fire came out^(G) from the presence of the Lord and consumed them,^(H) and they died before the Lord.^{(I) 3} Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

Aaron remained silent.

⁴ Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan,^(M) sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel,^(N) and said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp,^(O) away from the front of the sanctuary.^(P)” ⁵ So they came and carried them, still in their tunics,^(Q) outside the camp, as Moses ordered.

⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar,^(R) “Do not let your hair become unkempt^[a](S) and do not tear your clothes,^(T) or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community.^(U) But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn^(V) for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. ⁷ Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting^(W) or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil^(X) is on you.” So they did as Moses said.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Aaron, ⁹ “You and your sons are not to drink wine^(Y) or other fermented drink^(Z) whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance^(AA) for the generations to come, ¹⁰ so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,^{(AB) 11} and so you can teach^(AC) the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.^(AD)”

¹² Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering^(AE) left over from the food offerings prepared without yeast and presented to the Lord and eat it beside the altar,^(AF) for it is most holy. ¹³ Eat it in the sanctuary area,^(AG) because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord; for so I have been commanded.^{(AH) 14} But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast^(AI) that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place;^(AJ) they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings. ¹⁵ The thigh^(AK) that was presented and the breast that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of the food offerings, to be waved before the Lord as a wave offering.^(AL) This will be the perpetual share for you and your children, as the Lord has commanded.”

¹⁶ When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering^[b](AM) and found that it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and asked, ¹⁷ “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering^(AN) in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt^(AO) of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. ¹⁸ Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place,^(AP) you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.^(AQ)”

¹⁹ Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering^(AR) before the Lord, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?” ²⁰ When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.