Eleazar

1And 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.

God said to Moses, "Bring your brother Aaron to me from among the people of Israel. Bring his sons too. They are Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. They will serve me as priests, the men who work for me at my tent."

2And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

"Make special clothes for your brother Aaron. They will look grand and beautiful."

3And 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.

"Talk to all the skilled workers. I have given them wisdom to do this work. Tell them to make Aaron's clothes. Wearing them will set him apart to serve me as priest."

4And 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.

"Here are the clothes they must make. A chest piece. A vest called an ephod. A robe. A woven shirt. A turban, which is cloth wrapped around the head. And a sash for the waist. They will make these special clothes for Aaron and his sons."

5And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.

"They will use gold thread, blue, purple, and red yarn, and fine linen cloth."

1And 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.

Nadab and Abihu were sons of Aaron, the chief priest. Each one took his censer, a pan for burning incense. They put fire in the pans. Then they added incense, which makes sweet smoke. They offered this fire to the LORD. But God had not told them to do it.

2And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

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

3Then 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.

Then Moses said to Aaron, "The LORD told us this would be so. He said, 'People who come close to me must treat me as holy. All the people will see how great I am.'" Aaron did not say a word.

4And 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.

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

5So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.

So they came and picked them up. The two men were still in their long shirts. They carried them outside the camp, just as Moses said.

6And 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.

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 to show sadness. If you do, you will die. And God will be angry with all the people. Your relatives, all of Israel, may cry for the two men. The LORD sent the fire that burned them.

7And 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.

"Do not go out the door of the meeting tent. If you do, you will die. The LORD's special oil is on you." So they did what Moses said.

12And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:

Moses spoke to Aaron and to his two sons who were still alive, Eleazar and Ithamar. He said, "Take the grain offering that is left over. It comes from the gifts burned for the LORD. Eat it beside the altar, with no yeast in it. It is very holy.

13And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons’ due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for so I am commanded.

"Eat it in a holy place. It is your share and your sons' share. It comes from the gifts burned for the LORD. That is what I was told to say.

14And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons’ due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

"You may also eat the breast that was lifted up and the leg that was given. Eat them in a clean place. You and your sons and your daughters may eat them. They are your share from the peace offerings of the people of Israel.

15The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons’ with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded.

"The people must bring the leg and the breast. They bring them along with the fat that is burned as a gift. The priest lifts them up before the LORD. Then they belong to you and your sons for all time. The LORD has commanded this."

16And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying,

Later Moses looked hard for the goat of the sin offering. He found that it had been burned up. He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's two sons who were still alive. He asked them,

17Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

"Why did you not eat the sin offering in the holy place? It is very holy. God gave it to you to carry away the people's guilt. It makes things right between them and the LORD.

18Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.

"Look, its blood was not brought inside the holy place. So you should have eaten it there, as I told you."

19And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?

Aaron answered Moses. "Today my sons brought their sin offering and their burnt offering to the LORD. And then this happened to me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the LORD have been pleased?"

20And when Moses heard that, he was content.

When Moses heard this, he was satisfied with the answer.

1These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai.

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

2And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

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

3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office.

These 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.

4And 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.

Nadab 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.

30And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

Their leader was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.

31And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.

They took care of the ark, the gold box that held God's rules. They also cared for the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the holy dishes and tools. They cared for the curtain too.

32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

Eleazar son of Aaron the priest was the head leader of the Levites. He watched over the men who cared for the holy place.

33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.

From Merari came the Mahlite family and the Mushite family. These were Merari's families.

34And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

All their boys one month old or older came to 6,200.

35And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.

Their leader was Zuriel son of Abihail. They camped on the north side of the holy tent.

36And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,

The sons of Merari took care of the tent's wooden frames. They also cared for its bars, posts, bases, and all its parts.

37And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

They also cared for the posts around the yard. That included their bases, their tent pegs, and their ropes.

38But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons camped in front of the tent, on the east side. They did the holy work for all the people of Israel. Anyone else who came near had to be put to death.

15And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Aaron and his sons had to finish covering the holy things first. Then Kohath's men could come and carry them. They must not touch the holy things, or they will die. These are the things Kohath's family carried from the tent.

16And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.

Eleazar was the son of Aaron the priest, the man who led worship at the tent. Eleazar was in charge of the oil for the light. He also cared for the sweet incense and the daily grain gift. He cared for the special oil used for anointing. He watched over the whole tent and everything inside it.

17And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said this to them.

18Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:

"Do not let Kohath's family groups be cut off from the Levites."

19But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:

Here is how to keep them alive near the most holy things. Aaron and his sons must go in first. They must tell each man his job and what to carry.

20But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

But Kohath's men must not go in and look at the holy things. If they look, they will die.

36And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

The LORD said to Moses,

37Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.

"Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to lift the censers out of the fire. Tell him to scatter the burning coals far away. The censers now belong to God."

38The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

"Those men sinned, and it cost them their lives. Hammer their censers into flat sheets to cover the altar, the table where gifts are burned for God. The censers were brought before the LORD, so they belong to him. They will be a sign for the people of Israel."

39And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers of the men who were burned. He had them hammered into flat sheets to cover the altar.

40To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

This would remind the people of Israel of one thing. Only a man from Aaron's family may come and burn incense before the LORD. Anyone else who tries will be like Korah and his men. The LORD had said this through Moses.

1And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron. He said:

2This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:

This is the rule the LORD commands. Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer, a young red cow. She must be perfect, with no marks or hurts. She must never have pulled a plow or a cart.

3And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:

Give the cow to Eleazar the priest. A priest is a man who serves God at the holy tent. Eleazar will have her taken outside the camp. Someone will kill her there while he watches.

4And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:

Eleazar will dip his finger in her blood. He will sprinkle some toward the front of the holy tent. He does this seven times.

5And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:

Then someone will burn the cow while Eleazar watches. Her skin, her meat, her blood, and her waste all burn.

6And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.

The priest will take cedar wood, hyssop, and red yarn. Hyssop is a small plant used like a brush. He throws them all into the fire with the cow.

7Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.

Then the priest must wash his clothes and wash his body with water. After that he may come back into the camp. But he stays unclean until evening.

8And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.

The man who burned the cow must also wash his clothes and body. He too stays unclean until evening.

9And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.

A clean man will gather the ashes of the cow. He will put them outside the camp in a clean place. The people of Israel will keep them. The ashes are mixed with water to wash away sin.

10And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.

The man who gathers the ashes must wash his clothes. He stays unclean until evening. This rule lasts forever. It is for Israel and for visitors living among them.