1 And the two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, took each his censer, and put fire therein, and threw incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which the Lord did not command them, 2 and fire came forth from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, This is the thing which the Lord spoke, saying, I will be sanctified among them that draw nigh to me, and I will be glorified in the whole congregation; and Aaron was pricked in his heart. 4 And Moses called Mishael, and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel, sons of the brother of Aaron’s father, and said to them, Draw near and take your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. 5 And they came near and took them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses said. 6 And Moses said to Aaron, and Eleazar and Ithamar his sons that were left, Ye shall not make bare your heads, and ye shall not tear your garments; that ye die not, and so there should be wrath on all the congregation: but your brethren, even all the house of Israel, shall lament for the burning, with which they were burned by the Lord. 7 And ye shall not go forth from the door of the tabernacle of witness, that ye die not; for the Lord’s anointing oil is upon you: and they did according to the word of Moses.

8 And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, 9 Ye shall not drink wine nor strong drink, thou and thy sons with thee, whensoever ye enter into the tabernacle of witness, or when ye approach the altar, so shall ye not die; it is a perpetual statute for your generations, 10 to distinguish between sacred and profane, and between clean and unclean, 11 and to teach the children of Israel all the statutes, which the Lord spoke to them by Moses. 12 And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who survived, Take the sacrifice that is left of the burnt offerings of the Lord, and ye shall eat unleavened bread by the altar: it is most holy. 13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place; for this is a statute for thee and a statute for thy sons, of the burnt offerings to the Lord; for so it has been commanded me. 14 And ye shall eat the breast of separation, and the shoulder of the choice offering in the holy place, thou and thy sons and thy house with thee; for it has been given as an ordinance for thee and an ordinance for thy sons, of the sacrifices of peace offering of the children of Israel. 15 They shall bring the shoulder of the choice offering, and the breast of the separation upon the burnt offerings of the fat, to separate for a separation before the Lord; and it shall be a perpetual ordinance for thee and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, as the Lord commanded Moses.

16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, but it had been consumed by fire; and Moses was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar the sons of Aaron that were left, saying, 17 Why did ye not eat the sin offering in the holy place? for because it is most holy he has given you this to eat, that ye might take away the sin of the congregation, and make atonement for them before the Lord. 18 For the blood of it was not brought into the holy place: ye shall eat it within, before the Lord, as the Lord commanded me. 19 And Aaron spoke to Moses, saying, If they have brought nigh today their sin offerings, and their whole burnt offerings before the Lord, and these events have happened to me, and yet I should eat today of the sin offerings, would it be pleasing to the Lord? 20 And Moses heard it, and it pleased him.