1And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer , and put fire therein , and laid incense thereon , and offered strange fire before Jehovah , which he had not commanded them . 2And there came forth fire from before Jehovah , and devoured them , and they died before Jehovah .
God's Judgment and Holiness
3Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that Jehovah spake , saying , I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me , and before all the people I will be glorified . And Aaron held his peace . 4And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them , Draw near , carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp . 5So they drew near , and carried them in their coats out of the camp , as Moses had said . 6And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons , Let not the hair of your heads go loose , neither rend your clothes; that ye die not , and that he be not wroth with all the congregation : but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel , bewail the burning which Jehovah hath kindled . 7And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting , lest ye die ; for the anointing oil of Jehovah is upon you . And they did according to the word of Moses .
Instructions for Priestly Conduct
8And Jehovah spake unto Aaron, saying , 9Drink no wine nor strong drink , thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tent of meeting , that ye die not : it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations : 10and that ye may make a distinction between the holy and the common , and between the unclean and the clean ; 11and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which Jehovah hath spoken unto them by Moses .
The Importance of Obedience
12And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left , Take the meal-offering that remaineth of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar ; for it is most holy ; 13and ye shall eat it in a holy place , because it is thy portion , and thy sons ’ portion , of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: for so I am commanded . 14And the wave-breast and the heave-thigh shall ye eat in a clean place , thou , and thy sons , and thy daughters with thee : for they are given as thy portion , and thy sons ’ portion , out of the sacrifices of the peace-offerings of the children of Israel . 15The heave-thigh and the wave-breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat , to wave it for a wave-offering before Jehovah : and it shall be thine , and thy sons ’ with thee , as a portion for ever ; as Jehovah hath commanded . 16And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin-offering, and , behold , it was burnt : and he was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron that were left , saying, 17Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin-offering in the place of the sanctuary , seeing it is most holy , and he hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation , to make atonement for them before Jehovah ? 18Behold , the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary within : ye should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary , as I commanded . 19And Aaron spake unto Moses , Behold , this day have they offered their sin-offering and their burnt-offering before Jehovah ; and there have befallen me such things as these : and if I had eaten the sin-offering to-day, would it have been well-pleasing in the sight of Jehovah ? 20And when Moses heard that , it was well-pleasing in his sight .