Leviticus Chapter 9 to 10 : Easy-to-Read Version  | SearchSearch | Next Version | Previous Page | Next Page |

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God Accepts the Priests

9 On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron and his sons. He also called the elders (leaders) of Israel. 2Moses said to Aaron, “Take a bull and a ram. There must be nothing wrong with those animals. The bull will be a sin offering, and the ram will be a burnt offering. Offer those animals to the Lord. 3Tell the people of Israel, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering. And take a calf and a lamb for a burnt offering. The calf and the lamb must each be one year old. There must be nothing wrong with those animals. 4Take a bull and a ram for fellowship offerings. Take those animals and a grain offering mixed with oil, and offer those things to the Lord. Why? Because today the Lord will appear to you.’” 5So all the people came to the Meeting Tent.* They all brought the things that Moses had commanded. All the people stood before the Lord. 6Moses said, “You must do those things that the Lord commanded. Then the Glory of the Lord* will appear to you.” 7Then Moses told Aaron these things: “Go do the things the Lord commanded. Go to the altar* and offer sin offerings and burnt offerings. Do those things that will make you and the people pure.* Take the people’s sacrifices and do the things that will make them pure.” 8So Aaron went to the altar.* He killed the bull for the sin offering. This sin offering was for himself. 9Then the sons of Aaron brought the blood to Aaron. Aaron put his finger in the blood and put it on the corners of the altar. Then Aaron poured out the blood at the base of the altar. 10Aaron took the fat, the kidneys, and the fat part of the liver from the sin offering. He burned those things on the altar just like the Lord had commanded Moses. 11Then Aaron burned the meat and skin on a fire outside the camp. 12Next, Aaron killed the {animal for the} burnt offering. {The animal was cut into pieces.} Aaron’s sons brought the blood to Aaron. And Aaron sprinkled the blood around on the altar.* 13Aaron’s sons gave the pieces and head of the burnt offering to Aaron. Then Aaron burned {them} on the altar. 14Aaron also washed the inside parts and the legs of the burnt offering. And he burned them on the altar. 15Then Aaron brought the people’s offering. He killed the goat of the sin offering that was for the people. He offered the goat for sin, like the first. 16Aaron brought the burnt offering and offered it, like the Lord had commanded. 17Aaron brought the grain offering to the altar.* He took a handful of the grain and put it on the altar beside that morning’s daily sacrifice. 18Aaron also killed the bull and the ram, the sacrifice of fellowship offerings for the people. Aaron’s sons brought the blood to Aaron. Aaron sprinkled this blood around on the altar.* 19Aaron’s sons also brought to Aaron the fat of the bull and the ram. They brought the fat tail, the {fat} covering the inside parts, the kidneys and the fat part of the liver. 20Aaron’s sons put these fat parts on the breasts {of the bull and the ram}. Aaron burned the fat parts on the altar. 21Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh for a wave offering before the Lord, like Moses had commanded. 22Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. After Aaron finished offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the fellowship offerings, he came down {from the altar}. 23Moses and Aaron went into the Meeting Tent.* They came out and blessed the people. Then the Glory of the Lord* appeared to all the people. 24Fire came out from the Lord and burned the burnt offering and fat on the altar.* When all the people saw this, they shouted and bowed their faces low to the ground.

Meeting Tent The Holy Tent (tabernacle) where the people of Israel came to meet with God. Glory of the Lord One of the forms God used when he appeared to people. It was like a bright, shining light. altar A table or raised area used for offering sacrifices. make … pure Or, “make atonement.” The Hebrew word means “to cover,” “to hide,” or “to erase sins.”


God Destroys Nadab and Abihu

10 Then Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu {sinned}. Each son took a dish for burning incense.* They used a different fire and lit the incense. They did not use the fire that Moses had commanded them to use. 2So fire came from the Lord and destroyed Nadab and Abihu. They died in front of the Lord. 3Then Moses said to Aaron, “The Lord says, ‘The priests that come near me must respect me! I must be holy to them and to all the people.’” So Aaron did not say anything {about his sons dying}. 4Aaron’s uncle Uzziel had two sons. They were Mishael and Elzaphan. Moses said to those sons, “Go to the front part of the Holy Place. Take your cousins’ bodies and carry them outside the camp.” 5So Mishael and Elzaphan obeyed Moses. They carried the bodies of Nadab and Abihu outside the camp. Nadab and Abihu were still wearing their special woven shirts. 6Then Moses spoke to Aaron and his other sons Eleazar and Ithamar. Moses told them, “{Don’t show any sadness!} Don’t tear your clothes or mess up your hair!* Don’t show your sadness and you will not be killed. And the Lord will not be angry against all the people. All the people of Israel are your relatives—they can cry about the Lord burning Nadab and Abihu. 7But you must not even leave the entrance of the Meeting Tent. If you leave, then you will die! Why? Because the Lord’s anointing oil* is on you.” So Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar obeyed Moses. 8Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9“You and your sons must not drink wine or beer when you come into the Meeting Tent. {If you drink those things,} then you will die! This law continues forever through your generations. 10You must make a clear distinction (difference) between things that are holy and things that are not holy. You must make a clear distinction between things that are clean* and things that are unclean.* 11The Lord gave his laws to Moses, and Moses gave those laws to the people. Aaron, you must teach the people about all of those laws.” 12Aaron had two sons that were still alive, Eleazar and Ithamar. Moses talked to Aaron and his two sons. Moses said, “Some of the grain offering is left from the sacrifices that were burned on the fire. You will eat that part of the grain offering. But you must eat it without adding yeast. Eat it near the altar.* Why? Because that offering is very holy.* 13That is part of the offerings that were burned on the fire for the Lord. And the law I gave you teaches that a part belongs to you and your sons. But you must eat it in a holy place. 14“Also you, your sons, and your daughters will be able to eat the breast from the wave offerings. {You don’t have to eat these in a holy place,} but you must eat them in a clean* place. Why? Because they come from the fellowship offerings. The people of Israel give those gifts to God. {The people eat part of those animals,} but the breast is your share. 15The people must bring the fat from their animals as part of the sacrifice that is burned on the fire. They must also bring the thigh of the fellowship offering and the breast of the wave offering. That will be waved in front of the Lord, and then it will be your share of the offering. It will belong to you and your children. That part of the sacrifices will be your share forever, just like the Lord said.” 16Moses looked for the goat of the sin offering. But it was already burned up. Moses became very angry at Aaron’s other sons Eleazar and Ithamar. Moses said, 17“You were supposed to eat that goat in the holy area! It is very holy! Why did you not eat it in front of the Lord? The Lord gave it to you to carry away the guilt of the people—to make the people pure.* 18That goat’s blood was not brought into the Holy Place.* So, you should have eaten the meat in the holy area, like I commanded!” 19But Aaron said to Moses, “Look, today they brought their sin offering and burnt offering before the Lord. But you know what happened to me today! Do you think the Lord would be happy if I ate the sin offering today? No!” 20When Moses heard this, he agreed.

incense Special dried tree sap. Burned to make a sweet smelling smoke, it was offered as a gift to God. tearb…hair Torn clothes and messed up hair showed a person was mourning (sad) for a dead person. anointing oil Olive oil that was poured on things or people to show that they had been chosen for a special work or purpose. clean Pure or acceptable to God for worship. unclean Not pure or not acceptable to God for worship. altar A table or raised area used for offering sacrifices. holy Set aside or chosen for a special purpose. make … pure Or, “make atonement.” The Hebrew word means “to cover, “to hide,” or “to erase sins.” Holy Place One of the rooms in the Holy Tent.

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