Abihu

1The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD. Bring Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu with you. Bring seventy of the elders of Israel, the older leaders of the people. All of you must worship from far away."

And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.

NoteAaron was Moses' brother. Nadab and Abihu were two of Aaron's sons.

2"Only Moses may come close to the LORD. The others must not come near. The people must not go up with him."

And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.

NoteComing near the LORD meant climbing higher up the mountain. Only Moses could go that far.

3Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD. He told them all the LORD's rules too. All the people answered together with one voice. They said, "We will do everything the LORD has said."

And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.

NoteThe people all shouted the same answer at the same time. That is what "with one voice" means.

4Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning he got up. He built an altar at the bottom of the mountain. He also set up twelve stone pillars, one for each tribe of Israel. The tribes were the twelve big family groups of Israel.

And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

NoteAn altar is a pile or table of stones. People put gifts for God on it. The twelve pillars were tall stones stood up in the ground. They were a way to remember the promise.

5He sent some young men of Israel. They offered burnt offerings, animals burned up as gifts to the LORD. They also killed oxen as peace offerings to the LORD.

And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.

NoteA burnt offering was an animal burned up on the altar as a gift to God. A peace offering was different. Only part of it was burned. The people cooked the rest and ate it together, like a happy meal with God. Oxen are big strong cattle, like large cows.

6Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls. He sprinkled the other half on the altar.

And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

NoteLong ago, blood was used to show that a promise was very serious. Sprinkling it meant the promise was now real and could not be taken back.

7Then he took the book of the covenant and read it out loud to the people. The people said, "We will do everything the LORD has said. We will obey."

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.

NoteA covenant is a strong promise between two sides. Each side agrees to do certain things. The book of the covenant held the rules God had just given. Moses read it out loud so everyone could hear it.

8Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people. He said, "Look, this is the blood of the covenant. The LORD has made this agreement with you about all these words."

And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

9Then Moses went up the mountain. Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up too.

Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:

NoteThey did not go all the way to the top. They stopped partway up the mountain.

10They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a floor made of sapphire, a bright blue stone. It was as clear as the sky itself.

And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

NoteSapphire is a stone the deep blue color of the sky. The King James says "paved work," which means a floor made of flat stones fitted together.

11God did not harm the leaders of Israel. They saw God, and they ate and drank.

And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

NoteThe King James says God "laid not his hand" on them. That is an old way of saying he did not hurt them. "Nobles" means the important leaders.

1Bring your brother Aaron to you from among the people of Israel. Bring his sons with him. They will serve me as priests. A priest is someone who serves God for the people. Aaron's sons are Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

NoteGod is speaking to Moses here. Aaron was Moses's older brother.

2Make holy clothes for your brother Aaron. Holy clothes are clothes set apart for God. They will give him glory and beauty.

And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

NoteThese clothes were only for the priest to wear. They showed that his job was special.

3Speak to everyone who is wise in heart. I have filled them with a spirit of wisdom. They will make Aaron's clothes. The clothes will set him apart to serve me as priest.

And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

Note"Wise in heart" means very good at making things. These were the best weavers and sewers.

4These are the clothes they will make. A breastplate, which is worn on the chest. An ephod. A robe. A coat with woven designs. A turban, which is cloth wrapped around the head. And a sash, which is a long belt of cloth. They will make these holy clothes for your brother Aaron and for his sons, so he can serve me as priest.

And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

NoteA coat here means a long shirt that reaches the feet. The breastplate was not metal armor. It was a folded piece of cloth worn on the chest, like a flat pouch. An ephod was a special piece of clothing the priest wore over his robe.

1Nadab and Abihu were sons of Aaron. Each one took his censer, a small pan for burning incense. They put fire in the pans. They put incense on top of the fire. Then they offered strange fire to the LORD. God had not told them to do this.

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

NoteIncense is a sweet powder that smells nice when it burns. A censer was a small metal pan for holding the hot coals. Aaron was the priest, the man who did God's special work at the tent. "Strange fire" means fire God had not asked for. The two young men did it their own way instead.

2Fire came out from the LORD. The fire burned them up. They died right there in front of the LORD.

And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

3Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD said. He said, 'I will show that I am holy through those who come near me. And all the people will see my glory.'" Aaron said nothing.

Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

Note"Holy" means set apart and different from everything else. "Glory" means how great and shining God is. Aaron was quiet. He did not say a word.

4Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan. They were sons of Uzziel, who was Aaron's uncle. Moses said to them, "Come here. Carry your relatives away from the front of the holy tent. Take them outside the camp."

And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.

NoteThe people of Israel lived in tents in the desert. All their tents together were called the camp. The holy tent stood in the middle of it.

5So they came near. They carried the men out of the camp, still in their coats. They did just what Moses had said.

So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.

NoteThe coats were long shirts that the priests wore for their work.

6Then Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar. He said, "Do not let your hair hang loose. Do not tear your clothes. If you do, you will die, and anger will come on all the people. But the rest of Israel, your whole family, may cry about the fire the LORD started.

And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.

NoteLong ago, sad people let their hair hang messy and loose. They also ripped their own clothes on purpose. It showed everyone that someone had died. Moses told Aaron and his sons not to do these things now.

7Do not go out from the door of the tent of meeting, the tent where people meet with God. If you go out, you will die. The LORD's special oil has been poured on you." So they did what Moses said.

And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.

NoteThe special oil was olive oil poured on a priest's head. It showed that God had picked him for this work.

1This is the family record of Aaron and Moses. It comes from the time God spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai.

NoteMount Sinai is the mountain where God gave Moses his rules.

2These are the names of Aaron's sons. Nadab was the oldest. Then came Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3These were Aaron's sons. They were priests, men chosen to serve God for the people. Oil was poured on them to set them apart for that work.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office.

NoteA priest was a man who did God's work at the holy tent. He brought the people's gifts to God for them. Pouring oil on a man's head showed he had this new job.

4Nadab and Abihu died in front of the LORD. They had offered fire that God did not ask for. This happened in the desert of Sinai. They had no sons. So only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests while their father Aaron was alive.

And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the sight of Aaron their father.

NoteThe King James says they offered "strange fire." That means fire God had not asked them to bring.

60Aaron had four sons. They were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

61Nadab and Abihu died. They brought fire to the LORD that God had not told them to bring.

And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.

NoteThe King James Bible calls it "strange fire." It means fire God had not asked them to bring.

1Here are the groups of the men who came from Aaron. Aaron's sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

NoteAaron was Moses' brother. He was the very first priest. A priest was a man who worked at God's house for everyone.

2Nadab and Abihu died before their father did. They had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar did the priests' work.

But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office.

NoteThe priests' work was leading people when they came to worship. They also brought the people's gifts to God.