The death of Nadab and Abihu
1Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorised fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3Moses then said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:
‘ “Among those who approach me
I will be proved holy;
in the sight of all the people
I will be honoured.” ’
Aaron remained silent.
4Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, ‘Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.’ 5So they came and carried them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses ordered.
6Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, ‘Do not let your hair become unkempt10:6 Or Do not uncover your heads and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. 7Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.’ So they did as Moses said.
8Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9‘You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, 10so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, 11and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.’
12Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, ‘Take the grain offering left over from the food offerings prepared without yeast and presented to the Lord and eat it beside the altar, for it is most holy. 13Eat it in the sanctuary area, because it is your share and your sons’ share of the food offerings presented to the Lord; for so I have been commanded. 14But you and your sons and your daughters may eat the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially clean place; they have been given to you and your children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings. 15The thigh 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. This will be the perpetual share for you and your children, as the Lord has commanded.’
16When Moses enquired about the goat of the sin offering10:16 Or purification offering; also in verses 17 and 19 and found that it had been burned, he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, and asked, 17‘Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord. 18Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.’
19Aaron replied to Moses, ‘Today they sacrificed their sin offering and their burnt offering 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?’ 20When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.
Imfa ya Nadabu ndi Abihu
1Ana a Aaroni, Nadabu ndi Abihu, aliyense anatenga chofukizira lubani chake nayikamo makala a moto ndi kuthiramo lubani. Iwo anapereka pamaso pa Yehova moto wachilendo, moto umene Yehova sanawalamule. 2Choncho moto unatuluka pamaso pa Yehova ndi kuwapsereza, ndipo anafa pamaso pa Yehova. 3Pamenepo Mose anawuza Aaroni kuti, “Pajatu Yehova ananena kuti,
“ ‘Kwa iwo amene amandiyandikira
ndidzaonetsa ulemerero wanga;
pamaso pa anthu onse
ndidzalemekezedwa.’ ”
Aaroni anakhala chete wosayankhula.
4Mose anayitana Misaeli ndi Elizafani, ana a Uzieli, abambo angʼono a Aaroni, ndipo anawawuza kuti, “Bwerani kuno mudzachotse abale anuwa pa malo wopatulika ndi kuwatulutsira kunja kwa msasa.” 5Choncho anabwera atavala minjiro yawo ndipo anawatenga ndi kuwatulutsa kunja kwa msasawo monga momwe Mose analamulira.
6Ndipo Mose anawuza Aaroni ndi ana ake Eliezara ndi Itamara kuti, “Musalileke tsitsi lanu nyankhalala ndipo musangʼambe zovala zanu kuti mungafe, ndi mkwiyo wa Yehova ungagwere anthu onsewa. Koma abale anu okha, kutanthauza fuko lonse la Israeli ndiwo ayenera kulira omwalira aja amene Yehova wawapsereza ndi moto. 7Musatuluke kunja kwa tenti ya msonkhano, mungafe, chifukwa munadzozedwa ndi mafuta a Yehova kukhala ansembe.” Choncho iwo anachita monga Mose ananenera.
8Pambuyo pake Yehova anayankhula ndi Aaroni nati, 9“Iwe ndi ana ako musamamwe vinyo kapena chakumwa chilichonse choledzeretsa pamene mukulowa mu tenti ya msonkhano kuti mungafe. Ili ndi lamulo lamuyaya pa mibado yanu yonse. 10Muzisiyanitsa pakati pa zinthu zopatulika ndi zinthu wamba, pakati pa zinthu zodetsedwa ndi zinthu zoyeretsedwa, 11ndipo muyenera kuphunzitsa Aisraeli onse malamulo amene Yehova wakupatsani kudzera mwa Mose.”
12Mose anawuza Aaroni ndi ana ake otsalawo, Eliezara ndi Itamara kuti, “Tengani zopereka zachakudya zopanda yisiti zimene zatsala pa nsembe zopsereza za kwa Yehova ndipo muzidye pafupi ndi guwa pakuti ndi zopatulika kwambiri. 13Muzidye pa malo wopatulika chifukwa zimenezi ndi gawo lako ndi la ana ako pa zopereka zopsereza kwa Yehova. Izitu ndi zimene Yehova anandilamulira. 14Koma iwe pamodzi ndi ana ako aamuna ndi aakazi muzidya chidale chimene chinaweyulidwa ndi ntchafu zimene zinaperekedwa nsembe. Muzidye pamalo woyeretsedwa. Zimenezi zaperekedwa kwa iwe ndi ana ako monga gawo lanu pa zopereka zachiyanjano zimene apereka Aisraeli. 15Ntchafu imene inaperekedwayo ndi chidale chomwe chinaweyulidwacho abwere nazo pamodzi ndi nsembe ya mafuta ya Yehova yotentha pa moto, ndipo uziweyule kuti zikhale zopereka zoweyula pamaso pa Yehova. Zimenezi zizikhala zako ndi ana ako nthawi zonse monga walamulira Yehova.”
16Pambuyo pake Mose anafunafuna mbuzi ya nsembe yopepesera machimo koma anapeza kuti anayitentha kale. Apa Mose anakalipira Eliezara ndi Itamara, ana a Aaroni otsala aja nati, 17“Chifukwa chiyani simunadyere pamalo wopatulika nsembe yopepesera machimo ija? Kodi imene ija siyopatulika? Kodi Yehova sanapereke nyamayo kwa inu kuti muchotse machimo a mpingo wonse powachitira mwambo wa nsembe yopepesera machimo pamaso pa Yehova? 18Pakuti magazi ake sanalowe nawo ku Malo Wopatulika, mukanadya nyama ya mbuziyo pa malo wopatulikawo monga Yehova analamulira.”
19Aaroni anamuyankha Mose kuti, “Lero anthu apereka nsembe yawo yopepesera machimo ndiponso nsembe yawo yopsereza pamaso pa Yehova komabe zinthu zoterezi zandichitikira. Kodi Yehova akanakondwa ndikanadya nsembe yopepesera machimo lero?” 20Pamene Mose anamva zimenezi, anakhutira.
