The Sin of Nadab and Abihu (Numbers 3:1–4)
2 UST Flames shot out from the precincts of the sacred tent where Yahweh lived among the Israelites, and the fire burned up Aaron’ s two sons, Nadab and Abihu. The fire killed them right in Yahweh’ s presence. BSB BSB: So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD.
3 UST Moses turned and said to Aaron,“These events are exactly what Yahweh spoke of when he said,‘In the presence of the holy priests who draw near to me, I will demonstrate that I am set apart from everything else; in the sight of everyone, I will demonstrate that I should always be honored and worshiped.’” But Aaron was silent and said nothing. BSB BSB: Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory.’” But Aaron remained silent.
4 UST So Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, Aaron’ s cousins, the sons of Aaron’ s uncle, Uzziel. Moses said to them,“Offer yourselves for service and carry the corpses of your relatives from the front of the Holy Place in the sacred tent. Bring them to a place outside the camp.” BSB BSB: Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here; carry the bodies of your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.”
5 UST So Aaron’ s cousins stepped forward and carried the two corpses of Aaron’ s sons in the folds of their embroidered tunics. They carried them to a place outside the camp, exactly as Moses told them to do. BSB BSB: So they came forward and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses had directed.
6 UST Then Moses said to Aaron and his two remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar,“Do not mourn for your brothers as is customary. You should not allow your hair to hang down, nor should you tear your clothing. If you do, Yahweh may also kill you, and his anger may extend to the whole congregation as well. However, your fellow Israelites, every single person, should mourn because Yahweh is angry with his priests, as his burning fire has demonstrated. BSB BSB: Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become disheveled and do not tear your garments, or else you will die, and the LORD will be angry with the whole congregation. But your brothers, the whole house of Israel, may mourn on account of the fire that the LORD has ignited.
7 UST However, make sure that you do not leave the entrance of the sacred tent. If you do so, Yahweh will kill you too. You should not forget that when I poured Yahweh’ s holy oil on your heads, Yahweh set you apart to serve him here.” So, Aaron and his remaining sons did everything that Moses told them to do. BSB BSB: You shall not go outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, or you will die, for the LORD’s anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses instructed.
Restrictions for Priests 8 UST Then Yahweh said to Aaron, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Aaron,
9 UST “You and your two sons who are still alive should not drink wine or beer before you enter the sacred tent. If you drink alcohol before you enter the sacred precincts where Yahweh lives among the Israelites, Yahweh will kill you. This practice is a permanent and enduring instruction for how the priests should behave, which applies to every generation of the people of Israel. BSB BSB: “You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink when you enter the Tent of Meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute for the generations to come.
10 UST As priests, you should learn how to distinguish what is set apart for Yahweh and his purposes from that which you may use for everyday, common purposes. You will also be able to distinguish what is unacceptable to Yahweh and unclean from that which is acceptable to Yahweh and clean. BSB BSB: You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,
11 UST By learning how to distinguish these things from one another, the whole people of Israel will learn how to follow all the instructions that I told Moses, who then told them to you.” BSB BSB: so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.”
12 UST Moses then said to Aaron and his remaining two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar,“Take whatever grain offering now remains after Aaron has burned the gifts that he offered to Yahweh on the altar and eat the unleavened loaves of bread next to the altar. You should eat it here because these leftovers are set apart for the priests among all the gifts that people offer to Yahweh and that are set apart for him. BSB BSB: And Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that remains from the food offerings to the LORD and eat it without leaven beside the altar, because it is most holy.
13 UST Make sure that you eat these leftovers in the place that priests have dedicated for such purposes. You should do this because these leftovers are the food that Yahweh has provided for you and for your children from all the gifts that people offer to Yahweh that are also set apart for himself. It is so because Yahweh has told me that this is what you should do. BSB BSB: You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings to the LORD; for this is what I have been commanded.
14 UST You and your children may eat the breast meat that was held up and moved about in Yahweh’ s presence and the meat of the right thigh that people have offered as a special contribution to Yahweh. You and your children should eat these portions of meat in any place that the priests have set apart for such holy purposes. Yahweh has given them to you and to your children as your portion of food that comes from the fellowship sacrifices that people offer to Yahweh. BSB BSB: And you and your sons and daughters may eat the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution in a ceremonially clean place, because these portions have been assigned to you and your children from the peace offerings of the sons of Israel.
15 UST In addition to the other fat portions that people offer to Yahweh, the priests should bring the meat of the right thigh that people have offered as a special contribution to Yahweh and the breast meat to hold them up and move them about in Yahweh’ s presence. Remember that these portions of meat are food for you and for your children. These instructions should be perpetual and enduring, exactly as Yahweh has told you to do.” BSB BSB: They are to bring the thigh of the contribution and the breast of the wave offering, together with the fat portions of the food offerings, to wave as a wave offering before the LORD. It will belong permanently to you and your children, as the LORD has commanded.”
16 UST After asking about the location of the goat that the priests had offered as a purifying sacrifice, Moses diligently looked for it. He discovered that the priests had mistakenly burned it completely on the altar when they ought to have eaten it. So Moses was very angry with Aaron’ s two remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, and asked them, BSB BSB: Later, Moses searched carefully for the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it had been burned up. He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and asked,
17 UST “Why did you not eat the meat of the purifying sacrifice in a location that the priests have set apart for such holy purposes? You should have considered that meat to be specifically dedicated for you among all the gifts that people offer to Yahweh that are also set apart for him! Yahweh gave that meat to you not only so that you could eat it, but also so that it would address the wrongdoing of the whole congregation. When you ate that meat in Yahweh’ s presence, he was going to forgive the whole congregation for their sins and restore their relationship with him! BSB BSB: “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the holy place? For it is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the congregation by making atonement for them before the LORD.
18 UST Consider this: the sacrifice was not the type of purifying sacrifice that required the priest to bring any blood into the inner portion of the Holy Place in the sacred tent! You should certainly have eaten it in the place that the priests have set apart for such holy purposes, exactly as I told you to do!” BSB BSB: Since its blood was not brought inside the holy place, you should have eaten it in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.”
19 UST But Aaron replied,“Consider this: today, my sons brought their purifying sacrifices and their wholly burned sacrifices to Yahweh in the precincts where he lives among the Israelite people. Yet, nonetheless, these horrible things have happened to me! Even if I myself had eaten the meat of the purifying sacrifice today, would Yahweh have approved of everything that has happened here today, even the death of my sons?” BSB BSB: But Aaron replied to Moses, “Behold, this very day they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD. Since these things have happened to me, if I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been acceptable in the sight of the LORD?”
20 UST When Moses heard Aaron’ s response, he was satisfied and said nothing further. BSB BSB: And when Moses heard this explanation, he was satisfied.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.