1. Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their pans for burning incense. They put fire in them and added incense. But they did not use the special fire Moses had commanded them to use.
2. So fire came down from the Lord and destroyed Nadab and Abihu. They died in front of the Lord.
3. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord was speaking about when he said,‘I must be respected as holyby those who come near me.Before all the peopleI must be given honor.’”So Aaron did not say anything about the death of his sons.
4. Aaron’s uncle Uzziel had two sons named Mishael and Elzaphan. Moses said to them, “Come here. Pick up your cousins’ bodies. Carry them outside the camp away from the front of the Holy Place.”
5. So Mishael and Elzaphan obeyed Moses. They carried the bodies of Nadab and Abihu outside the camp. Nadab and Abihu were still wearing the special priest’s inner robes.
6. Then Moses spoke to Aaron and his other sons, Eleazar and Ithamar. Moses told them, “Don’t show any sadness. Don’t tear your clothes or leave your hair uncombed. If you do those things, you will die, and the Lord will be angry with all the people. All the people of Israel are your relatives. They may cry loudly about the Lord burning Nadab and Abihu.
7. But you must not even leave the Meeting Tent. If you go out of the entrance, you will die! This is because the Lord has appointed you to his service.” So Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar obeyed Moses.
8. Then the Lord said to Aaron,
9. “You and your sons must not drink wine or beer when you go into the Meeting Tent. If you do, you will die! This law will continue from now on.
10. You must keep what is holy separate from what is not holy. You must keep what is clean separate from what is unclean.
11. The Lord gave his laws to Moses. And Moses gave them to the people. You must teach the people all the laws.”