< 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.
Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, each took his censer, put fire in it, and then incense. Then they offered unapproved fire before Yahweh, which he had not commanded them to offer.
2 So suddenly a fire from Yahweh appeared and burned them up [DOU] in the presence of Yahweh.
So fire came out from before Yahweh and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh.
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.
Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Yahweh was talking about when he said, 'I will reveal my holiness to those who come near me. I will be glorified before all the people.'” Aaron did not say anything.
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.”
Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come here and carry your brothers out of the camp from before the tabernacle.”
5 So they carried the corpses, which still had their special gowns on, outside the camp, [and buried them].
So they came near and carried them, still wearing their priestly tunics, out of the camp, as Moses had instructed.
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.
Then Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Do not let your hair on your heads hang loosely, and do not tear your clothes, so that you may not die, and so that Yahweh may not be angry with all the assembly. But allow your relatives, the entire house of Israel, to mourn for those whom the fire of Yahweh has set ablaze.
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.
You must not go out from the entrance of the tent of meeting, or you will die, for the anointing oil of Yahweh is on you.” So they acted according to Moses' instructions.
8 Then Yahweh said to Aaron,
Yahweh spoke to Aaron, saying,
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.
“Do not drink wine or strong drink, you, or your sons who remain with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, so you will not die. This will be a permanent statute throughout your people's 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.
to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the 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.”
so that you may teach the people of Israel all the statutes that Yahweh has commanded through 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.
Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his remaining sons, “Take the grain offering that remains from the offerings to Yahweh made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar, for it is most holy.
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.
You must eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your sons' share of the offerings to Yahweh made by fire, for this is what I have been commanded to tell you.
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].
The breast that is waved and the thigh that is presented to Yahweh, you must eat in a clean place acceptable to God. You and your sons and daughters with you should eat those portions, for they are given as your share and your sons' share out of the sacrifices of the fellowship offerings of the people 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.”
The thigh that is presented and the breast that is waved, they must bring with the offerings of fat made by fire, to wave before Yahweh. They will be yours and your sons' with you as a share forever, as Yahweh has commanded.”
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,
Then Moses asked about the goat for the sin offering, and found that it was burned up. So he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the remaining sons of Aaron; 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 have you not eaten the sin offering in the area of the tabernacle, since it is most holy, and since Yahweh has given it to you to take away the iniquity of the assembly, to make atonement for them before him?
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.”
Look, its blood was not brought inside the tabernacle, so you should certainly have eaten it in the tabernacle area, as I commanded.”
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?”
Then Aaron answered Moses, “See, today they made their sin offering and burnt offering before Yahweh, and this thing has happened to me today. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing in the sight of Yahweh?”
20 When Moses/I heard that, he/I was satisfied.
When Moses heard that, he was satisfied.