Leviticus 10

1 [Two of] Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, took the pans in which they burned incense. They put some burning coals in them and put incense on top of the coals, but this fire was not acceptable [to Yahweh] because it was not the kind that he had commanded them to burn.

And the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, picking up their censers, placed fire in them and incense upon them, offering in the sight of the Lord a strange fire, such as was not instructed of them.

2 So suddenly a fire from Yahweh appeared and burned them up [DOU] in the presence of Yahweh.

And fire coming out from the Lord destroyed them, and they died in the sight of the Lord.

3 Then Moses/I said to Aaron, “That is what Yahweh predicted. He said, ‘Those priests who come near to me, I will show them that they must (respect me/treat me as being holy); in the presence of all the people I am the one who must be honored.’” But Aaron said nothing.

And Moses said to Aaron: “This is what the Lord has spoken: ‘I will be sanctified in those who approach me, and I will be glorified in the sight of all the people.’” And upon hearing this, Aaron was silent.

4 Then Moses/I summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, who were the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Take [the corpses of] your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the Sacred Tent.”

Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, the paternal uncle of Aaron, and he said to them, “Go and take your brothers from the sight of the Sanctuary, and carry them beyond the camp.”

5 So they carried the corpses, which still had their special gowns on, outside the camp, [and buried them].

And moving quickly, they took them as they lay, vested with linen tunics, and cast them outside, just as had been commanded them.

6 Then Moses/I said to Aaron and his [other two] sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “[You are sad because Nadab and Abihu died, but you must act like you always do]. Do not allow the hair on your [heads] to remain uncombed, and do not tear your clothes. But your relatives and all your fellow Israelis are allowed to mourn for those whom Yahweh destroyed by fire.

And Moses said to Aaron, and to his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar: “Do not uncover your heads, and do not rend your garments, lest perhaps you may die, and indignation may rise up over the entire assembly. Let your brothers, and all the house of Israel, bewail the burning that the Lord has kindled.

7 But you must not leave the entrance of the Sacred Tent [to join those who are mourning], because if you do that, you also will die, and Yahweh will punish [MTY] all the people of Israel. Do not forget that Yahweh has set you apart [MTY] to work for him here, [and he does not want you to become defiled by touching a corpse].” So they did what Moses/I told them to do.

But you shall not depart from the door of the tabernacle; otherwise, you shall perish. For certainly the oil of holy anointing is upon you.” And they did all things according to the precept of Moses.

8 Then Yahweh said to Aaron,

The Lord also said to Aaron:

9 “You and your [two] sons [who are still alive] must not drink wine or other fermented drinks before you enter the Sacred Tent; if you do that, you will die. That is a command that you and your descendants must obey forever.

“You shall not drink wine, nor anything that is able to inebriate you or your sons, when you enter into the tabernacle of the testimony, lest you die. For it is an everlasting precept in your generations.

10 You must do that in order to learn what things are holy and what things are (not holy/common), and [from the things that are not holy] you must learn what things are acceptable to me and what things are not.

And so may you have the knowledge to discern between holy and profane, between polluted and clean.

11 And you must teach to the Israeli people all the laws that I gave to the Israeli people by telling them to Moses.”

And so may you teach the sons of Israel all my ordinances, which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”

12 Moses/I said to Aaron and his two sons who were still alive, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the offering made from grain that is left after a portion of it has been offered to Yahweh to be burned, and eat it alongside the altar. [It should not be eaten elsewhere], because it is very holy.

And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, who were remaining: “Take the sacrifice which remains from the oblation of the Lord, and eat it without leaven next to the altar, because it is the Holy of holies.

13 Eat it in a holy place; it is the share for you and your sons from the offerings that were burned; I have commanded that it be your share.

For you shall eat it in a holy place, which is given to you and to your sons, from the oblations of the Lord, just as has been instructed me.

14 But you and your sons and daughters are permitted to eat the breast and the thigh that were lifted up in front of Yahweh. Eat them in any place that is (holy/acceptable to him). They have been given to you and your descendants as your share of the offerings to enable the Israelis to maintain fellowship [with Yahweh].

Likewise, the breast which is offered, and the shoulder which is separated, you shall eat in a most clean place, you and your sons, and your daughters with you. For these have been set aside for you and your children from the victims which benefit the sons of Israel.

15 The thigh and the breast that were lifted up in front of Yahweh must be brought with the portions of fat to be burned, to be lifted up in his presence. They will be the regular share for you and your descendants, as Yahweh has commanded.”

Since they have lifted up in the sight of the Lord, the shoulder, and the breast, and the fat that is burned on the altar, these also belong to you and to your sons as a perpetual law, just as the Lord has instructed.”

16 When Moses/I inquired about the goat that had been sacrificed to enable the people to be forgiven by Yahweh for the sins they had committed, he/I found out that it had been completely burned. So he/I was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar and asked them,

Meanwhile, when Moses was searching for the he-goat, which had been offered for sin, he discovered it burned up. And being angry against Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were remaining, he said:

17 “Why did you not eat near the Sacred Tent the meat of the offering for sin? It was very holy, and it was given to you to enable the Israeli people to no longer be guilty for their sins and to be forgiven for their sins.

“Why did you not eat the sacrifice for sin in the holy place, which is the Holy of holies, and which was given to you, so that you might carry the iniquity of the people, and might pray for them in the sight of the Lord,

18 Since its blood was not taken into the holy place inside the Sacred Tent, you should have eaten the [meat of] the goat near the Sacred Tent, as I commanded.”

especially since none of its blood has been brought into the holy places, and since you should have eaten it in the Sanctuary, as was instructed me?”

19 Aaron replied to Moses/me, “Today the people brought to Yahweh their offering to be forgiven for the sins they had committed, and the offering to be completely burned, [and surely that pleased Yahweh], but [think about the terrible thing] that happened to my other two sons! Would [RHQ] Yahweh have been pleased if I had eaten some of the offering to cause the people to become acceptable to God?”

Aaron responded: “This day, the victim for sin has been offered, and the holocaust in the sight of the Lord. But you see what has happened to me. How could I eat it, or please the Lord in the ceremonies, having a sorrowful mind?”

20 When Moses/I heard that, he/I was satisfied.

But when Moses had heard this, he was satisfied.