Leviticus 10:1-11

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 unauthorized 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 honored.’ ” 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 unkempt 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.”