Aaron Offers Sacrifices

Now it came about (A)on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel; and he said to Aaron, “(B)Take for yourself a calf, a bull, as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before the Lord. Then you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat as a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without defect, as a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today (C)the Lord will appear to you.’” So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the whole congregation came near and stood before the Lord. And Moses said, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded you to do, so that (D)the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” Moses then said to Aaron, “Come near to the altar and [a](E)offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, so that you may make atonement for yourself and for the people; then make the offering [b]for the people, so that you may make atonement for them, just as the Lord has commanded.”

(F)So Aaron came near to the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering which was for himself. (G)Aaron’s sons then presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood and (H)put some on the horns of the altar, and poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 10 The fat and the kidneys and the [c]lobe of the liver of the sin offering he then offered up in smoke on the altar, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 11 (I)The flesh and the hide, however, he burned with fire outside the camp.

12 Then he slaughtered the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 13 They brought the burnt offering to him in [d]pieces, with the head, and he offered them up in smoke on the altar. 14 He also washed the entrails and the legs, and offered them up in smoke with the burnt offering on the altar.

15 Then he presented the people’s offering, and took the (J)goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like the first. 16 He also presented the burnt offering, and [e]offered it according to (K)the ordinance. 17 Next he presented (L)the grain offering, and filled his [f]hand with some of it and offered it up in smoke on the altar, (M)besides the burnt offering of the morning.

18 Then (N)he slaughtered the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings which was for the people; and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 19 As for the portions of fat from the ox and from the ram, the fat tail, the fat (O)covering, the kidneys, and the [g]lobe of the liver, 20 they now placed the portions of fat on the breasts; and he offered [h]them up in smoke on the altar. 21 But (P)the breasts and the right thigh Aaron [i]presented as a wave offering before the Lord, just as Moses had commanded.

22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and (Q)blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings. 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, (R)the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 (S)Then fire went out from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell [j]face downward.

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

10 Now (T)Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective (U)firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on [k]the fire and offered [l]strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. (V)And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying,

‘By those who (W)come near Me I [m](X)will be treated as holy,
And before all the people I will (Y)be honored.’”

So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.

Moses called also to (Z)Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come forward, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to an area outside of the camp.” So they came forward and carried them, still in their (AA)tunics, to an area outside the camp, just as Moses had said. Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “(AB)Do not [n]uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you do not die and He does not (AC)become wrathful against all the congregation. But your [o]kinsmen, the entire house of Israel, shall weep for the burning which the Lord has [p]brought about. You shall not even go out from the doorway of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for (AD)the Lords anointing oil is upon you.” So they did according to the word of Moses.

The Lord then spoke to Aaron, saying, (AE)Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you do not die—it is a permanent statute throughout your generations— 10 and (AF)to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, 11 and (AG)so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.”

12 Then Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his surviving sons, (AH)Eleazar and Ithamar, “(AI)Take the grain offering that is left over from the Lords offerings by fire and eat it as unleavened bread beside the altar, for it is most holy. 13 You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your allotted portion and your sons’ allotted portion from the Lords offerings by fire; for so I have been commanded. 14 (AJ)The breast of the wave offering, however, and the thigh of the offering you may eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you; for they have been given as your allotted portion and your sons’ allotted portion from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the sons of Israel. 15 They shall bring (AK)the thigh offered by lifting up and the breast offered by waving, along with the offerings by fire of the portions of fat, to present as a wave offering before the Lord; so it shall be a thing perpetually due you and your sons with you, just as the Lord has commanded.”

16 But Moses searched carefully for the (AL)goat of the sin offering, and behold, it had been burned! So he was angry with Aaron’s surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, saying, 17 “Why (AM)did you not eat the sin offering at the [q]holy place? For it is most holy, and [r]He gave it to you to take away (AN)the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord. 18 Behold, (AO)since its blood had not been brought inside, into the sanctuary, you certainly should have (AP)eaten it in the sanctuary, just as I commanded!” 19 But Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, this very day they (AQ)presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord. When things like these happened to me, if I had eaten a sin offering today, would it have been good in the sight of the Lord?” 20 When Moses heard that, it was good in his sight.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 9:7 Lit make
  2. Leviticus 9:7 Lit of
  3. Leviticus 9:10 Or appendage on
  4. Leviticus 9:13 Lit its pieces
  5. Leviticus 9:16 Lit made
  6. Leviticus 9:17 Lit palm
  7. Leviticus 9:19 Or appendage on
  8. Leviticus 9:20 Lit the portions of fat
  9. Leviticus 9:21 Lit waved
  10. Leviticus 9:24 Lit on their faces
  11. Leviticus 10:1 Lit it
  12. Leviticus 10:1 I.e., unauthorized
  13. Leviticus 10:3 Or will show Myself holy
  14. Leviticus 10:6 Lit unbind
  15. Leviticus 10:6 Lit brothers
  16. Leviticus 10:6 Lit burned
  17. Leviticus 10:17 I.e., the courtyard of the tabernacle, not the sanctuary
  18. Leviticus 10:17 Or was given

The Priests Begin Their Ministry

On the eighth day(A) Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders(B) of Israel. He said to Aaron, “Take a bull calf for your sin offering[a] and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the Lord. Then say to the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat(C) for a sin offering,(D) a calf(E) and a lamb(F)—both a year old and without defect—for a burnt offering, and an ox[b](G) and a ram for a fellowship offering(H) to sacrifice before the Lord, together with a grain offering mixed with olive oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.(I)’”

They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord. Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord(J) may appear to you.”

Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people;(K) sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded.(L)

So Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering(M) for himself. His sons brought the blood to him,(N) and he dipped his finger into the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar.(O) 10 On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering, as the Lord commanded Moses; 11 the flesh and the hide(P) he burned up outside the camp.(Q)

12 Then he slaughtered the burnt offering.(R) His sons handed him the blood,(S) and he splashed it against the sides of the altar. 13 They handed him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar.(T) 14 He washed the internal organs and the legs and burned them on top of the burnt offering on the altar.(U)

15 Aaron then brought the offering that was for the people.(V) He took the goat for the people’s sin offering and slaughtered it and offered it for a sin offering as he did with the first one.

16 He brought the burnt offering and offered it in the prescribed way.(W) 17 He also brought the grain offering, took a handful of it and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning’s burnt offering.(X)

18 He slaughtered the ox and the ram as the fellowship offering for the people.(Y) His sons handed him the blood, and he splashed it against the sides of the altar. 19 But the fat portions of the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver— 20 these they laid on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar. 21 Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as a wave offering,(Z) as Moses commanded.

22 Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them.(AA) And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.

23 Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting.(AB) When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord(AC) appeared to all the people. 24 Fire(AD) came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.(AE)

The Death of Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu(AF) took their censers,(AG) put fire in them(AH) and added incense;(AI) and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord,(AJ) contrary to his command.(AK) So fire came out(AL) from the presence of the Lord and consumed them,(AM) and they died before the Lord.(AN) Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

“‘Among those who approach me(AO)
    I will be proved holy;(AP)
in the sight of all the people
    I will be honored.(AQ)’”

Aaron remained silent.

Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan,(AR) sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel,(AS) and said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp,(AT) away from the front of the sanctuary.(AU) So they came and carried them, still in their tunics,(AV) outside the camp, as Moses ordered.

Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar,(AW) “Do not let your hair become unkempt[c](AX) and do not tear your clothes,(AY) or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community.(AZ) But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn(BA) for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting(BB) or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil(BC) is on you.” So they did as Moses said.

Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons are not to drink wine(BD) or other fermented drink(BE) whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance(BF) for the generations to come, 10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,(BG) 11 and so you can teach(BH) the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.(BI)

12 Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering(BJ) left over from the food offerings prepared without yeast and presented to the Lord and eat it beside the altar,(BK) for it is most holy. 13 Eat it in the sanctuary area,(BL) because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord; for so I have been commanded.(BM) 14 But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast(BN) that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place;(BO) they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings. 15 The thigh(BP) 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.(BQ) 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[d](BR) 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(BS) in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt(BT) of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. 18 Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place,(BU) you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.(BV)

19 Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering(BW) 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.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 9:2 Or purification offering; here and throughout this chapter
  2. Leviticus 9:4 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female; also in verses 18 and 19.
  3. Leviticus 10:6 Or Do not uncover your heads
  4. Leviticus 10:16 Or purification offering; also in verses 17 and 19