Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu offer unauthorized fire before the LORD and are consumed. Moses gives rules for the priests' conduct and mourning, and for eating the sacrifices.
1 And Nadab and Abihu , the sons of Aaron , took either of them his censer , and put fire therein , and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD , which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the LORD , and devoured them, and they died before the LORD .
3 Then Moses said unto Aaron , This is it that the LORD 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 .
4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan , the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron , and said unto them, Come near , carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp .
5 So they went near , and carried them in their coats out of the camp ; as Moses had said .
6 And Moses said unto Aaron , and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar , his sons , Uncover not your heads , neither rend your clothes ; lest ye die , and lest wrath come upon all the people : but let your brethren , the whole house of Israel , bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled .
7 And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation , lest ye die : for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses .
8 And the LORD spake unto Aaron , saying ,
9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink , thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation , lest ye die : it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations :
10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy , and between unclean and clean ;
11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses .
12 And Moses spake unto Aaron , and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar , his sons that were left , Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire , and eat it without leaven beside the altar : for it is most holy :
13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place , because it is thy due , and thy sons ' due , of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire : for so I am commanded .
14 And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place ; thou, and thy sons , and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due , and thy sons ' due , which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel .
15 The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat , to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD ; and it shall be thine, and thy sons ' with thee, by a statute for ever ; as the LORD hath commanded .
16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering , and, behold, it was burnt : and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar , the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying ,
17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place , seeing it is most holy , and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation , to make atonement for them before the LORD ?
18 Behold , the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded .
19 And Aaron said unto Moses , Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD ; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day , should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD ?
20 And when Moses heard that, he was content .