The Death of Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu^(A) took their censers,^(B) put fire in them^(C) and added incense;^(D) and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord,^(E) contrary to his command.^{(F) 2} So fire came out^(G) from the presence of the Lord and consumed them,^(H) and they died before the Lord.^{(I) 3} Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

Aaron remained silent.

⁴ Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan,^(M) sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel,^(N) and said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp,^(O) away from the front of the sanctuary.^(P)” ⁵ So they came and carried them, still in their tunics,^(Q) outside the camp, as Moses ordered.

⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar,^(R) “Do not let your hair become unkempt^[a](S) and do not tear your clothes,^(T) or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community.^(U) But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn^(V) for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. ⁷ Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting^(W) or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil^(X) is on you.” So they did as Moses said.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Aaron, ⁹ “You and your sons are not to drink wine^(Y) or other fermented drink^(Z) whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance^(AA) for the generations to come, ¹⁰ so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,^{(AB) 11} and so you can teach^(AC) the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.^(AD)”

¹² Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering^(AE) left over from the food offerings prepared without yeast and presented to the Lord and eat it beside the altar,^(AF) for it is most holy. ¹³ Eat it in the sanctuary area,^(AG) because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord; for so I have been commanded.^{(AH) 14} But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast^(AI) that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place;^(AJ) they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings. ¹⁵ The thigh^(AK) that was presented and the breast that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of the food offerings, to be waved before the Lord as a wave offering.^(AL) This will be the perpetual share for you and your children, as the Lord has commanded.”

¹⁶ When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering^[b](AM) and found that it had been burned up, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and asked, ¹⁷ “Why didn’t you eat the sin offering^(AN) in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt^(AO) of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. ¹⁸ Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place,^(AP) you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.^(AQ)”

¹⁹ Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering^(AR) before the Lord, but such things as this have happened to me. Would the Lord have been pleased if I had eaten the sin offering today?” ²⁰ When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

Psalm 59^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house^(A) in order to kill him.

Psalm 60^[e](AL)

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam^[f] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim^[g] and Aram Zobah,^[h] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.^(AM)

1 Paul, an apostle^(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,^(B) and Timothy^(C) our brother,

To the church of God^(D) in Corinth,^(E) together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:^(F)

² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^(G)

Praise to the God of All Comfort

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(H) the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us^(I) in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,^(J) so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation;^(K) if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings,^(L) so also you share in our comfort.

⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed,^(M) brothers and sisters,^[a] about the troubles we experienced^(N) in the province of Asia.^(O) We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God,^(P) who raises the dead.^{(Q) 10} He has delivered us from such a deadly peril,^(R) and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope^(S) that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers.^(T) Then many will give thanks^(U) on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Paul’s Change of Plans

¹² Now this is our boast: Our conscience^(V) testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity^[b](W) and godly sincerity.^(X) We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom^(Y) but on God’s grace. ¹³ For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, ¹⁴ as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.^(Z)

¹⁵ Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you^(AA) first so that you might benefit twice.^{(AB) 16} I wanted to visit you on my way^(AC) to Macedonia^(AD) and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way^(AE) to Judea.^{(AF) 17} Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner^(AG) so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?

¹⁸ But as surely as God is faithful,^(AH) our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” ¹⁹ For the Son of God,^(AI) Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas^[c](AJ) and Timothy^(AK)—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always^(AL) been “Yes.” ²⁰ For no matter how many promises^(AM) God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen”^(AN) is spoken by us to the glory of God.^{(AO) 21} Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm^(AP) in Christ. He anointed^(AQ) us, ²² set his seal^(AR) of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.^(AS)

²³ I call God as my witness^(AT)—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you^(AU) that I did not return to Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we lord it over^(AV) your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.^(AW) 2 ¹ So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.^{(AX) 2} For if I grieve you,^(AY) who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? ³ I wrote as I did,^(AZ) so that when I came I would not be distressed^(BA) by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence^(BB) in all of you, that you would all share my joy. ⁴ For I wrote you^(BC) out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender

⁵ If anyone has caused grief,^(BD) he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. ⁶ The punishment^(BE) inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. ⁷ Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,^(BF) so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ Another reason I wrote you^(BG) was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.^{(BH) 10} Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, ¹¹ in order that Satan^(BI) might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.^(BJ)

Ministers of the New Covenant

¹² Now when I went to Troas^(BK) to preach the gospel of Christ^(BL) and found that the Lord had opened a door^(BM) for me, ¹³ I still had no peace of mind,^(BN) because I did not find my brother Titus^(BO) there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.^(BP)

¹⁴ But thanks be to God,^(BQ) who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma^(BR) of the knowledge^(BS) of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are to God the pleasing aroma^(BT) of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.^{(BU) 16} To the one we are an aroma that brings death;^(BV) to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?^{(BW) 17} Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.^(BX) On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,^(BY) as those sent from God.^(BZ)