The Sin of Nadab and Abihu
(Numbers 3:1–4)

1  וַיִּקְח֣וּ (And took) בְנֵֽי־ (the sons) אַ֠הֲרֹן (of Aaron), נָדָ֨ב (Nadab) וַאֲבִיה֜וּא (and Abihu), אִ֣ישׁ (each) מַחְתָּת֗וֹ (his firepan), וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ (and they put) בָהֵן֙ (in it) אֵ֔שׁ (fire), וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ (and they put) עָלֶ֖יהָ (on it) קְטֹ֑רֶת (incense), וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּ (and they brought near) לִפְנֵ֤י (before the face) יְהוָה֙ (of YHWH) אֵ֣שׁ (fire) זָרָ֔ה (strange) אֲשֶׁ֧ר (which) לֹ֦א (not) צִוָּ֖ה (He had commanded) אֹתָֽם׃ (them). 2  וַתֵּ֥צֵא (And went out) אֵ֛שׁ (fire) מִלִּפְנֵ֥י (from before the face) יְהוָ֖ה (of YHWH) וַתֹּ֣אכַל (and it consumed) אוֹתָ֑ם (them), וַיָּמֻ֖תוּ (and they died) לִפְנֵ֥י (before the face) יְהוָֽה׃ (of YHWH).

3  וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (And said) מֹשֶׁ֜ה (Moses) אֶֽל־ (to) אַהֲרֹ֗ן (Aaron), הוּא֩ (It is) אֲשֶׁר־ (what) דִּבֶּ֨ר (spoke) יְהוָ֤ה׀ (YHWH), לֵאמֹר֙ (saying),

בִּקְרֹבַ֣י (By those drawing near to Me)

אֶקָּדֵ֔שׁ (I will be shown holy),

וְעַל־ (and) פְּנֵ֥י (before the faces) כָל־ (of all) הָעָ֖ם (the people)

אֶכָּבֵ֑ד (I will be glorified).

וַיִּדֹּ֖ם (And was silent) אַהֲרֹֽן׃ (Aaron).

4  וַיִּקְרָ֣א (And called) מֹשֶׁ֗ה (Moses) אֶל־ (to) מִֽישָׁאֵל֙ (Mishael) וְאֶ֣ל (and to) אֶלְצָפָ֔ן (Elzaphan), בְּנֵ֥י (the sons) עֻזִּיאֵ֖ל (of Uzziel) דֹּ֣ד (the uncle) אַהֲרֹ֑ן (of Aaron), וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (and he said) אֲלֵהֶ֗ם (to them), קִ֠רְב֞וּ (Draw near), שְׂא֤וּ (carry) אֶת־ (-) אֲחֵיכֶם֙ (your⁺ brothers) מֵאֵ֣ת (from) פְּנֵי־ (the face) הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ (of the Holy Place), אֶל־ (to) מִח֖וּץ (the outside) לַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ (of the camp). 5  וַֽיִּקְרְב֗וּ (And they drew near) וַיִּשָּׂאֻם֙ (and they carried them) בְּכֻתֳּנֹתָ֔ם (in their tunics) אֶל־ (to) מִח֖וּץ (the outside) לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה (of the camp), כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר (as) דִּבֶּ֥ר (had spoken) מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (Moses).

6  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And said) מֹשֶׁ֣ה (Moses) אֶֽל־ (to) אַהֲרֹ֡ן (Aaron), וּלְאֶלְעָזָר֩ (and to Eleazar) וּלְאִֽיתָמָ֨ר׀ (and to Ithamar) בָּנָ֜יו (his sons), רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם (Your⁺ heads) אַל־ (not) תִּפְרָ֣עוּ׀ (do uncover), וּבִגְדֵיכֶ֤ם (and your⁺ clothes) לֹֽא־ (not) תִפְרֹ֙מוּ֙ (tear), וְלֹ֣א (and not) תָמֻ֔תוּ (shall you⁺ die), וְעַ֥ל (and upon) כָּל־ (all) הָעֵדָ֖ה (the congregation) יִקְצֹ֑ף (He will be angry). וַאֲחֵיכֶם֙ (And your⁺ brothers), כָּל־ (the whole) בֵּ֣ית (house) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (of Israel), יִבְכּוּ֙ (shall weep) אֶת־ (-) הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה (the burning) אֲשֶׁ֖ר (that) שָׂרַ֥ף (has burned) יְהוָֽה׃ (YHWH). 7  וּמִפֶּתַח֩ (And from the door) אֹ֨הֶל (of the Tent) מוֹעֵ֜ד (of Meeting) לֹ֤א (not) תֵֽצְאוּ֙ (you⁺ shall go out), פֶּן־ (lest) תָּמֻ֔תוּ (you⁺ die); כִּי־ (for) שֶׁ֛מֶן (the oil) מִשְׁחַ֥ת (of anointing) יְהוָ֖ה (of YHWH is) עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם (upon you⁺).

וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֖וּ (And they did) כִּדְבַ֥ר (according to the word) מֹשֶֽׁה׃פ (of Moses).

Restrictions for Priests

8  וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר (And spoke) יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH) אֶֽל־ (to) אַהֲרֹ֖ן (Aaron), לֵאמֹֽר׃ (saying), 9  יַ֣יִן (Wine) וְשֵׁכָ֞ר (and strong drink) אַל־ (not) תֵּ֣שְׁתְּ׀ (shall you drink) אַתָּ֣ה׀ (you), וּבָנֶ֣יךָ (and your sons) אִתָּ֗ךְ (with you), בְּבֹאֲכֶ֛ם (when you⁺ go) אֶל־ (into) אֹ֥הֶל (the Tent) מוֹעֵ֖ד (of Meeting), וְלֹ֣א (and not) תָמֻ֑תוּ (shall you⁺ die). חֻקַּ֥ת (It is a statute) עוֹלָ֖ם (forever) לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ (throughout your⁺ generations), 10  וּֽלֲהַבְדִּ֔יל (and to distinguish) בֵּ֥ין (between) הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ (the holy) וּבֵ֣ין (and between) הַחֹ֑ל (the common), וּבֵ֥ין (and between) הַטָּמֵ֖א (the unclean) וּבֵ֥ין (and between) הַטָּהֽוֹר׃ (the clean), 11  וּלְהוֹרֹ֖ת (and to teach) אֶת־ (-) בְּנֵ֣י (the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (of Israel) אֵ֚ת (-) כָּל־ (all) הַ֣חֻקִּ֔ים (the statutes) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (that) דִּבֶּ֧ר (has spoken) יְהוָ֛ה (YHWH) אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם (to them) בְּיַד־ (by the hand) מֹשֶֽׁה׃פ (of Moses).

12  וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר (And spoke) מֹשֶׁ֜ה (Moses) אֶֽל־ (to) אַהֲרֹ֗ן (Aaron), וְאֶ֣ל (and to) אֶ֠לְעָזָר (Eleazar), וְאֶל־ (and to) אִ֨יתָמָ֥ר׀ (Ithamar), בָּנָיו֮ (his sons) הַנּֽוֹתָרִים֒ (the ones remaining), קְח֣וּ (Take) אֶת־ (-) הַמִּנְחָ֗ה (the grain offering) הַנּוֹתֶ֙רֶת֙ (the one remaining) מֵאִשֵּׁ֣י (from the fire offerings) יְהוָ֔ה (of YHWH), וְאִכְל֥וּהָ (and eat it) מַצּ֖וֹת (unleavened) אֵ֣צֶל (beside) הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ (the altar), כִּ֛י (for) קֹ֥דֶשׁ (holy) קָֽדָשִׁ֖ים (of holies) הִֽוא׃ (it is). 13  וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם (And you⁺ shall eat) אֹתָהּ֙ (it) בְּמָק֣וֹם (in a place) קָדֹ֔שׁ (holy), כִּ֣י (because) חָקְךָ֤ (your portion) וְחָק־ (and the portion) בָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ (of your sons) הִ֔וא (it is), מֵאִשֵּׁ֖י (from the fire offerings) יְהוָ֑ה (of YHWH); כִּי־ (for) כֵ֖ן (so) צֻוֵּֽיתִי׃ (I have been commanded).

14  וְאֵת֩ (And) חֲזֵ֨ה (the breast) הַתְּנוּפָ֜ה (of the wave offering) וְאֵ֣ת׀ (and) שׁ֣וֹק (the thigh) הַתְּרוּמָ֗ה (of the contribution) תֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ (you⁺ shall eat) בְּמָק֣וֹם (in a place) טָה֔וֹר (clean) אַתָּ֕ה (you), וּבָנֶ֥יךָ (and your sons), וּבְנֹתֶ֖יךָ (and your daughters) אִתָּ֑ךְ (with you), כִּֽי־ (for) חָקְךָ֤ (your portion) וְחָק־ (and the portion) בָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ (of your sons), נִתְּנ֔וּ (they are given) מִזִּבְחֵ֥י (from the sacrifices) שַׁלְמֵ֖י (of peace offerings) בְּנֵ֥י (of the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (of Israel). 15  שׁ֣וֹק (The thigh) הַתְּרוּמָ֞ה (of the contribution) וַחֲזֵ֣ה (and the breast) הַתְּנוּפָ֗ה (of the wave offering) עַ֣ל (with) אִשֵּׁ֤י (the fire offerings) הַחֲלָבִים֙ (of fat) יָבִ֔יאוּ (they shall bring) לְהָנִ֥יף (to wave) תְּנוּפָ֖ה (a wave offering) לִפְנֵ֣י (before the face) יְהוָ֑ה (of YHWH). וְהָיָ֨ה (And it shall be) לְךָ֜ (for you) וּלְבָנֶ֤יךָ (and for your sons) אִתְּךָ֙ (with you), לְחָק־ (for a statute) עוֹלָ֔ם (everlasting), כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר (as) צִוָּ֥ה (has commanded) יְהוָֽה׃ (YHWH).

16  וְאֵ֣ת׀ (And) שְׂעִ֣יר (the goat) הַֽחַטָּ֗את (of the sin offering) דָּרֹ֥שׁ (seeking) דָּרַ֛שׁ (he sought) מֹשֶׁ֖ה (Moses), וְהִנֵּ֣ה (and behold) שֹׂרָ֑ף (it had been burned up). וַ֠יִּקְצֹף (And he was angry) עַל־ (with) אֶלְעָזָ֤ר (Eleazar) וְעַל־ (and with) אִֽיתָמָר֙ (Ithamar), בְּנֵ֣י (the sons) אַהֲרֹ֔ן (of Aaron) הַנּוֹתָרִ֖ם (the ones remaining), לֵאמֹֽר׃ (saying), 17  מַדּ֗וּעַ (Why) לֹֽא־ (not) אֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם (have you⁺ eaten) אֶת־ (-) הַֽחַטָּאת֙ (the sin offering) בִּמְק֣וֹם (in the place) הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ (holy), כִּ֛י (for) קֹ֥דֶשׁ (holy) קָֽדָשִׁ֖ים (of holies) הִ֑וא (it is), וְאֹתָ֣הּ׀ (and it) נָתַ֣ן (He has given) לָכֶ֗ם (to you⁺) לָשֵׂאת֙ (to bear) אֶת־ (-) עֲוֺ֣ן (the iniquity) הָעֵדָ֔ה (of the congregation), לְכַפֵּ֥ר (to make atonement) עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם (upon them) לִפְנֵ֥י (before the face) יְהוָֽה׃ (of YHWH)? 18  הֵ֚ן (Behold), לֹא־ (not) הוּבָ֣א (was brought) אֶת־ (-) דָּמָ֔הּ (its blood) אֶל־ (to) הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ (the Holy Place) פְּנִ֑ימָה (within). אָכ֨וֹל (Eating), תֹּאכְל֥וּ (you⁺ should have eaten) אֹתָ֛הּ (it) בַּקֹּ֖דֶשׁ (in the Holy Place), כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר (as) צִוֵּֽיתִי׃ (I commanded).

19  וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר (And said) אַהֲרֹ֜ן (Aaron) אֶל־ (to) מֹשֶׁ֗ה (Moses), הֵ֣ן (Behold), הַ֠יּוֹם (today) הִקְרִ֨יבוּ (they have brought near) אֶת־ (-) חַטָּאתָ֤ם (their sin offerings) וְאֶת־ (and) עֹֽלָתָם֙ (their burnt offerings) לִפְנֵ֣י (before the face) יְהוָ֔ה (of YHWH); וַתִּקְרֶ֥אנָה (and have befallen) אֹתִ֖י (me) כָּאֵ֑לֶּה (as these things); וְאָכַ֤לְתִּי (and if I had eaten) חַטָּאת֙ (a sin offering) הַיּ֔וֹם (today), הַיִּיטַ֖ב (would it have been good) בְּעֵינֵ֥י (in the eyes) יְהוָֽה׃ (of YHWH)?

20  וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע (And listened) מֹשֶׁ֔ה (Moses), וַיִּיטַ֖ב (and it was good) בְּעֵינָֽיו׃פ (in his eyes).