The Deaths of Nadab and Abihu

¹ And Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his censer, and they put fire in them and placed incense on it;¹ then² they presented ⌞before⌟³ Yahweh illegitimate fire, which he had not commanded them.

1. That is, the fire
2. Or “and”
3. Literally “to the faces of”

² So¹ fire went out ⌞from before⌟² Yahweh, and it consumed them so that³ they died ⌞before⌟⁴ Yahweh.

1. Or “And”
2. Literally “from to the faces of”
3. Or “and”
4. Literally “to the faces of”

³ Therefore¹ Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Yahweh spoke, saying, ‘Among those who are close to me I will show myself holy, and ⌞in the presence of⌟² all the people I will display my glory.’ ”³ So⁴ Aaron was silent.

1. Or “And”
2. Literally “upon the faces of”
3. Or “I will be glorified”
4. Or “And”

⁴ Then¹ Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan the sons of Uzziel, Aaron’s uncle, and he said to them, “Come forward.² Carry your brothers from ⌞the front of⌟³ the sanctuary to ⌞outside the camp⌟.”⁴

1. Or “And”
2. Or “Come near” or “Approach”
3. Literally “the faces of”
4. Literally “from an outside place of the camp”

⁵ So¹ they came forward,² and they carried them ⌞outside the camp⌟³ in their tunics, just as Moses had ordered.

1. Or “And”
2. Or “came near” or “approached”
3. Literally “to from an outside place of the camp”

⁶ Then¹ Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “You must not let your hair hang loosely, and you must not tear your garments, so that² you will not die and he³ will be angry with all the community. But⁴ your brothers, all the house of Israel, may weep because of ⌞the burning that Yahweh caused⌟,⁵

1. Or “And”
2. Or “and”
3. That is, God
4. Or “And”
5. Literally “the burning that Yahweh burned”

⁷ but¹ you must not go out from the entrance to² the tent of assembly lest you die, because Yahweh’s anointing oil is on you.” So³ they did according to Moses’ word.

1. Or “and”
2. Or “of”
3. Or “And”

Lasting Statutes

⁸ Then¹ Yahweh spoke to Aaron, saying,

1. Or “And”

⁹ “You and your sons with you may not drink wine or¹ strong drink when you come to the tent of assembly, so that² you will not die—it is a lasting statute for your³ generations—

1. Or “and”
2. Or “and”
3. Plural

¹⁰ and to distinguish between the holy and the unholy,¹ as well as² between the unclean and the clean,

1. Or “the common”
2. Or “and”

¹¹ and to teach the ⌞Israelites⌟¹ all the rules that Yahweh has spoken to them ⌞through⌟² Moses.”

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”
2. Literally “by the hand of”

¹² Then¹ Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “As for the remaining parts,² take the remainder of the grain offering from Yahweh’s offerings made by fire and eat it, the unleavened bread, beside the altar, because it is ⌞a most holy thing⌟.³

1. Or “And”
2. Implied by plural form of noun and the immediate context
3. Literally “a holiness of holinesses”

¹³ And you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your allotted portion and the allotted portion of your sons from Yahweh’s offerings made by fire, for so I have been commanded.

¹⁴ And the wave offering’s breast section and the upper thigh of the contribution offering you¹ must eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, because they are given as your allotted portion and your sons’ allotted portion from the sacrifices of the ⌞Israelites⌟’² fellowship offerings.

1. Plural
2. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

¹⁵ They must bring the thigh of the contribution offering and the breast section of the wave offering in addition to the offerings made by fire, consisting of the fat portions, to wave as a wave offering ⌞before⌟¹ Yahweh; and it will be for you and for your sons with you as a lasting rule, just as Yahweh had commanded.”

1. Literally “to the faces of”

The Problem of the Uneaten Sin Offering

¹⁶ Then¹ Moses sought all over for the goat of the sin offering and behold, it was burned up. So² he was angry with Aaron’s remaining sons Eleazar and Ithamar, saying,

1. Or “And”
2. Or “And”

¹⁷ “Why did you not eat the sin offering on the sanctuary’s site, because it is ⌞a most holy thing⌟?¹ And he gave it to you to remove the community’s guilt, to make atonement for them ⌞before⌟² Yahweh.

1. Literally “a holiness of holinesses”
2. Literally “to the faces of”

¹⁸ Look, its blood was not brought ⌞inside the sanctuary⌟.¹ Certainly you should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.”

1. Or “to the sanctuary inside” or “to the sanctuary within”

¹⁹ So¹ Aaron said to Moses, “Look, today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering ⌞before⌟² Yahweh, and things such as these have happened to me, and if I were to eat a sin offering today, would it have been good in Yahweh’s eyes?”

1. Or “And”
2. Literally “to the faces of”

²⁰ When¹ Moses heard, it² was good in his eyes.

1. Or “And”
2. Or “and it”