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Leviticus Chapter 10 (JPS)

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Leviticus Chapter 10 (JPS)
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1 And 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 HaShem, which He had not commanded them.

2 And there came forth fire from before HaShem, and devoured them, and they died before HaShem.

3 Then Moses said unto Aaron: 'This is it that HaShem spoke, saying: Through them that are nigh unto Me I will be sanctified, 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: 'Draw near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.'

5 So they drew near, and carried them in their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons: 'Let not the hair of your heads go loose, neither tend 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 HaShem hath kindled.

7 And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting, lest ye die; for the anointing oil of HaShem is upon you.' And they did according to the word of Moses.

8 And HaShem spoke unto Aaron, saying:

9 'Drink 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 forever throughout your generations.

10 And that ye may put difference between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean;

11 and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which HaShem hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.'

12 And Moses spoke unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left: 'Take the meal-offering that remaineth of the offerings of HaShem made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy.

13 And ye shall eat it in a holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the offerings of HaShem made by fire; for so I am commanded.

14 And the breast of waving and the thigh of heaving shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee; for they are given as thy due, and thy sons' due, out of the sacrifices of the peace-offerings of the children of Israel.

15 The thigh of heaving and the breast of waving shall they bring with the offerings of the fat made by fire, to wave it for a wave-offering before HaShem; and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, as a due for ever; as HaShem hath commanded.'

16 And Moses diligently inquired for 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:

17 'Wherefore 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 HaShem?

18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary within; ye should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.'

19 And Aaron spoke unto Moses: 'Behold, this day have they offered their sin-offering and their burnt-offering before HaShem, 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 HaShem?

20 And when Moses heard that, it was well-pleasing in his sight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus chapter 10?
Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu offer 'strange fire' before the LORD that he had not commanded, and fire from the LORD kills them instantly (vv. 1-2), after which Moses gives Aaron and his remaining sons instructions for continuing their priestly duties.
Why weren't Aaron and his remaining sons allowed to mourn Nadab and Abihu?
Moses tells them in verse 6 not to uncover their heads or tear their clothes, warning that doing so could bring death on them and wrath on the whole congregation, since the anointing oil of the LORD was still upon them.
What rule did the LORD give the priests right after this?
Verses 8-9 forbid priests from drinking wine or strong drink when entering the tabernacle, a restriction meant to keep them able to 'put difference between holy and unholy,' consistent with the priests' consecrated status described at Exodus 19:22.

Today's Verse

but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:

Daniel 2:28 | ASV

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