Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

When Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, each took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them, fire from the Lord burst out and consumed them, and they died in God's presence.

Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord spoke of: 'I will be sanctified in those who come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.' Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Come near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.

Moses told Aaron not to let his hair go loose nor tear his clothes, lest he die, and wrath come upon all the people; but instead, let their brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord had 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 upon you.

They did according to the word of Moses. The Lord spoke to Aaron saying, "When you enter the tent of meeting, neither you nor your sons are to drink wine or strong drink, lest you die; it shall be a permanent statute throughout your generations."

Aaron was instructed by the Lord to teach the children of Israel all the statutes that he had spoken to them by Moses. Moses told Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar, his remaining sons, to take the leftover meat offering from the Lord's fire offerings and eat it without yeast beside the altar, because it is most holy.

You shall eat it in the holy place, because it is your due and that of your sons from the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire, as I have been commanded. And you and your sons shall eat the wave breast and heave shoulder in a clean place, for they are your due and your sons' due from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

The heave shoulder and the wave breast were to be brought with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it before the Lord as a wave offering; and it shall be yours and your sons' with you, by a statute forever, as the Lord has commanded. Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, but when he found it was burnt, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, saying, "You should have eaten it in the sanctuary as I commanded.

Wherefore have you not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy and God has given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? The blood of it was not brought into the holy place; you should have eaten it in the holy place as I commanded.

Aaron replied to Moses, "Today they have presented their sin offering and burnt offering before the Lord, but these unfortunate events have occurred to me; if I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been acceptable in God's sight?" When Moses heard it, he was content.