Leviticus 10

1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their vessels and put fire in them and perfume, burning strange fire before the Lord, which he had not given them orders to do.

Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, set light to their incense burners using ordinary fire and put in incense, and in this way offered forbidden fire in the Lord's presence, something he had not authorized.

2 And fire came out from before the Lord, burning them up and causing their destruction before the Lord.

Fire came out from the Lord's presence and burned them up. They died in the Lord's presence.

3 Then Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord said, I will be holy in the eyes of all those who come near to me, and I will be honoured before all the people. And Aaron said nothing.

Moses explained to Aaron, “This is what the Lord was talking about when he said: ‘I will show my holiness to those who approach me; I will reveal my glory so everyone can see.” But Aaron didn't reply.

4 And Moses sent for Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the brother of Aaron's father, and said to them, Come near and take your brothers away from before the holy place, outside the tent-circle.

Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and told them, “Come and carry away the bodies of your cousins and take them outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.”

5 So they came and took them, in their coats, outside the tent-circle, as Moses had said.

They came and picked them up by their clothes, and took them outside the camp, as Moses had ordered.

6 And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, Do not let your hair be loose, and give no signs of grief; so that death may not overtake you, and his wrath come on all the people; but let there be weeping among your brothers and all the house of Israel for this burning of the Lord's fire.

Then Moses told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Don't leave your hair uncombed, and don't tear your clothes in mourning, otherwise you will die, and the Lord will be angry with everyone. But your relatives and all the other Israelites may mourn for those the Lord killed by fire.

7 And do not go out from the door of the Tent of meeting, or death will come to you; for the holy oil of the Lord is on you. And they did as Moses said.

Don't go outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, or you will die, because you have been anointed by the Lord.” They did what Moses said.

8 And the Lord said to Aaron:

The Lord told Aaron,

9 Take no wine, or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the Tent of meeting, that it may not be the cause of death to you; this is an order for ever through all your generations.

“You and your descendants must not to drink wine or any other alcohol when you go in to the Tent of Meeting, otherwise you will die. This regulation is for all time and for all future generations.

10 And make a division between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean;

You must realize the difference between the holy and the ordinary, between clean and unclean,

11 Teaching the children of Israel all the laws which the Lord has given them by the hand of Moses.

so you can teach the Israelites all the regulations that the Lord has given to them through Moses.”

12 And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were still living, Take the rest of the meal offering from the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and take it for your food, without leaven, at the side of the altar, for it is most holy.

Moses told Aaron and his two sons who were left, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that is left over from the food offerings given to the Lord and eat it without yeast beside the altar, because it is most holy.

13 It is to be for your food in a holy place, because it is your right and your sons' right, from the offerings of the Lord made by fire: for so am I ordered.

You must eat it in a holy place, because it is the share for you and your descendants from the food offerings given to the Lord. This is what I have been ordered.

14 And the breast which is waved and the leg which is lifted up on high, you are to take as your food in a clean place; you and your sons and your daughters with you: for they are given to you as your right and your sons' right, from the peace-offerings of the children of Israel.

You and your male and female descendants can eat the breast of the wave offering and the thigh contribution anywhere that is ceremonially clean, because you and your descendants have been given these as your share from the peace offerings of the Israelites.

15 Let them take the breast which is waved and the leg which is lifted up on high, with the fat of the burned offering, to be waved for a wave offering before the Lord; and this will be for you and for your sons with you, for a right for ever, as the Lord has given orders.

The thigh contribution and the breast of the wave offering, as well as the fat portions of the food offerings made, they are to bring and wave as a wave offering before the Lord. They belong to you and your children forever as the Lord has ordered.”

16 And Moses was looking for the goat of the sin-offering, but it was burned; and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron, who were still living, saying,

Moses checked what had happened to the goat of the sin offering, and found out that it had been burned. He got angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons Aaron had left, and asked them,

17 Why did you not make a meal of the sin-offering in the holy place? For it is most holy and he has given it to you, so that the sin of the people may be put on it, to take away their sin before the Lord.

“Why didn't you take the sin offering and eat it in the holy place, because it is most holy and it was given to you to take away the people's guilt by making them right before the Lord.

18 See, its blood was not taken into the holy place: certainly it was right for you to have taken it as food in the holy place, as I gave orders.

As its blood was not taken into the holy place, you should have eaten it in the sanctuary area, as I ordered.”

19 And Aaron said to Moses, You have seen that today they have made their sin-offering and their burned offering before the Lord, and such things as these have come on me. If I had taken the sin-offering as food today, would it have been pleasing to the Lord?

So Aaron explained to Moses, “Look, it was today that they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord. After all that's just happened to me, would the Lord have been pleased if I'd eaten the sin offering today?”

20 And after hearing this, Moses was no longer angry.

When Moses heard what Aaron had to say, he accepted the explanation.