The Third Book of Moses: Leviticus

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 10 -

(Numbers 3:1–4)

And Nadab and Abiu, the sons of Aaron, taking their censers, put fire therein, and incense on it, offering before the Lord strange fire: which was not commanded them.

And fire coming out from the Lord destroyed them, and they died before the Lord.

And Moses said to Aaron: This is what the Lord hath spoken: I will be sanctified in them that approach to me, and I will be glorified in the sight of all the people. And when Aaron heard this, he held his peace.

And Moses called Misael and Elisaphan, the sons of Oziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said to them: Go and take away your brethren from before the sanctuary, and carry them without the camp.

And they went forthwith and took them as they lay, vested with linen tunicks, and cast them forth, as had been commanded them.

And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons: Uncover not your heads, and rend not your garments, lest perhaps you die, and indignation come upon all the congregation. Let your brethren, and all the house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled:

But you shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle, otherwise you shall perish, for the oil of the holy unction is on you. And they did all things according to the precept of Moses.

Restrictions for Priests

The Lord also said to Aaron:

You shall not drink wine nor any thing that may make drunk, thou nor thy sons, when you enter into the tabernacle of the testimony, lest you die: because it is an everlasting precept through your generations:

And that you may have knowledge to discern between holy and unholy, between unclean and clean:

And may teach the children of Israel all my ordinances which the Lord hath spoken to them by the hand of Moses.

And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons that were left: Take the sacrifice that is remaining of the oblation of the Lord, and eat it without leaven beside the altar, because it is holy of holies.

And you shall eat it in a holy place: which is given to thee and thy sons of the oblations of the Lord, as it hath been commanded me.

The breast also that is offered, and the shoulder that is separated, you shall eat in a most clean place, thou and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee. For they are set aside for thee and thy children, of the victims of peace offerings of the children of Israel:

Because they have elevated before the Lord the shoulder and the breast, and the fat that is burnt on the altar, and they belong to thee and to thy sons by a perpetual law, as the Lord hath commanded.

While these things were a doing, when Moses sought for the buck goat, that had been offered for sin, he found it burnt: and being angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron that were left, he said:

Why did you not eat in the holy place the sacrifice for sin, which is most holy, and given to you, that you may bear the iniquity of the people, and may pray for them in the sight of the Lord,

Especially whereas none of the blood thereof hath been carried within the holy places, and you ought to have eaten it in the sanctuary, as was commanded me?

Aaron answered: This day hath been offered the victim for sin, and the holocaust before the Lord: and to me what thou seest has happened: how could I eat it, or please the Lord in the ceremonies, having a sorrowful heart?

Which when Moses had heard he was satisfied.

(Numbers 3:1–4)

Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them.

Fire came out from before the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of, saying, ‘I will show myself holy to those who come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” Aaron held his peace.

Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”

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

Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Don’t let the hair of your heads go loose, and don’t tear your clothes, so that you don’t die, and so that he will not be angry with all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled.

You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; for the anointing oil of the LORD is on you.” They did according to the word of Moses.

Restrictions for Priests

Then The LORD said to Aaron,

“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.

You are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.

You are to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.”

Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, “Take the meal offering that remains of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most holy;

and you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your portion, and your sons’ portion, of the offerings of the LORD made by fire; for so I am commanded.

The waved breast and the heaved thigh you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they are given as your portion, and your sons’ portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the children of Israel.

They shall bring the heaved thigh and the waved breast with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD. It shall be yours, and your sons’ with you, as a portion forever, as the LORD has commanded.”

Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and, behold,(a) it was burned. He was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying,

“Why haven’t you eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is most holy, and he has given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.”

Aaron spoke to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things as these have happened to me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing in the LORD’s sight?”

When Moses heard that, it was pleasing in his sight.

Footnotes

(a)10:16 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.