Nadab and Abihu
1 Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron's sons, but they disobeyed the Lord by burning incense to him on a fire pan, when they were not supposed to. 2 Suddenly the Lord sent fiery flames and burned them to death. 3 Then Moses told Aaron that this was exactly what the Lord had meant when he said:
“I demand respect
from my priests,
and I will be praised
by everyone!”
Aaron was speechless.
4 Moses sent for Mishael and Elzaphan, the two sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel. Then he told them, “Take these two dead relatives of yours outside the camp far from the entrance to the sacred tent.” 5 So they dragged the dead men away by their clothes.
6 Then Moses told Aaron and his other two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar:
Don't show your sorrow by messing up your hair and tearing your priestly clothes, or the Lord will get angry. He will kill the three of you and punish everyone else. It's all right for your relatives, the people of Israel, to mourn for those he destroyed by fire. 7 But you are the Lord's chosen priests, and you must not leave the sacred tent, or you will die.
Aaron and his two sons obeyed Moses.
8 The Lord said to Aaron:
9 When you or your sons enter the sacred tent, you must never drink beer or wine. If you do, you will die right there! This law will never change. 10 You must learn the difference between what is holy and what isn't holy and between the clean and the unclean. 11 You must also teach the people of Israel everything that I commanded Moses to say to them.
12 Moses told Aaron and his two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar:
The grain sacrifice that was offered to give thanks to the Lord is very holy. So make bread without yeast from the part that wasn't sent up in smoke and eat it beside the altar. 13 The Lord has said that this belongs to you and your sons, and that it must be eaten in a holy place. 14-15 But the choice ribs and the hind leg that were lifted up may be eaten by your entire family, as long as you do so in an acceptable place. These parts are yours from the sacrifices that the people offer to ask the Lord's blessing. This is what the Lord has commanded, and it will never change.
16 When Moses asked around and learned that the ram for the sin sacrifice had already been burned on the altar, he became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar and said, 17 “Why didn't you eat the meat from this sacrifice in an acceptable place? It is very holy, and the Lord has given you this sacrifice to remove Israel's sin and guilt. 18 Whenever an animal's blood isn't brought into the sacred tent, I commanded you to eat its meat in an acceptable place, but you burned it instead.”
19 Their father Aaron replied, “Today two of my sons offered the sacrifice for sin and the sacrifice to please the Lord, and look what has happened to me! Would the Lord have approved if I had eaten the sacrifice for sin?”
20 Moses was satisfied with Aaron's reply.
1 But Nadab and Abihu, the sonnes of Aaron, tooke either of them his censor, and put fire therein, and put incense thereupon, and offred strange fire before the Lord, which hee had not commanded them. 2 Therefore a fire went out from the Lord, and deuoured them: so they dyed before the Lord. 3 Then Moses sayde vnto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will bee sanctified in the that come neere me, and before all the people I will be glorified: but Aaron held his peace. 4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan the sonnes of Vzziel, the vncle of Aaron, and saide vnto them, Come neere, cary your brethre from before the Sanctuarie out of the hoste. 5 Then they went, and caried them in their coates out of the host, as Moses had comaunded. 6 After, Moses saide vnto Aaron and vnto Eleazar and Ithamar his sonnes, Vncouer not your heads, neither rent your clothes, least ye dye, and least wrath come vpon all ye people: but let your brethren, all the house of Israel bewayle the burning which the Lord hath kindled. 7 And go not yee out from the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, least ye dye: for the anointing oyle of the Lord is vpon you: and they did according to Moses commandement. 8 And the Lord spake vnto Aaron, saying, 9 Thou shalt not drinke wine nor strong drinke, thou, nor thy sonnes with thee, when yee come into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, lest ye die: this is an ordinance for euer throughout your generations, 10 That ye may put difference betweene the holy and the vnholy, and betweene the cleane and the vncleane, 11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath commanded them by the hand of Moses. 12 Then Moses saide vnto Aaron and vnto Eleazar and to Ithamar his sonnes that were left, Take the meate offring that remaineth of the offrings of the Lord, made by fire, and eate it without leauen beside ye altar: for it is most holy: 13 And ye shall eate it in the holy place, because it is thy duetie and thy sonnes duety of the offringes of the Lord made by fire: for so I am commanded. 14 Also the shaken breast and the heaue shoulder shall yee eate in a cleane place: thou, and thy sonnes, and thy daughters with thee: for they are giuen as thy duetie and thy sonnes duety, of the peace offringes of the children of Israel. 15 The heaue shoulder, and the shaken breast shall they bring with the offringes made by fire of the fat, to shake it to and from before the Lord, and it shalbe thine and thy sonnes with thee by a lawe for euer, as the Lord hath commanded. 16 And Moses sought the goate that was offred for sinne, and lo, it was burnt: therefore he was angrie with Eleazar and Ithamar the sonnes of Aaron, which were left aliue, saying, 17 Wherfore haue ye not eaten the sinne offring in the holy place, seeing it is most Holie? and God hath giuen it you, to beare the iniquitie of the Congregation, to make an atonement for them before the Lord. 18 Beholde, the blood of it was not brought within the holy place: ye should haue eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded. 19 And Aaron said vnto Moses, Behold, this day haue they offred their sinne offring, and their burnt offring before the Lord, and such things as thou knowest are come vnto mee: If I had eaten the sinne offring to day, should it haue bene accepted in the sight of the Lord? 20 So when Moses heard it, he was content.