1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2"Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy,
3even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before the LORD. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel."
4Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,
5to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn't of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before the LORD, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as the LORD spoke to him by Moses.
6But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You have killed the LORD's people!"
7When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and the LORD's glory appeared.
8Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.
9The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
10"Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!" They fell on their faces.
11Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD! The plague has begun."
12Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. The plague had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.
13He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
14Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the matter of Korah.
15Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.
16The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
17"Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods. Write each man's name on his rod.
18You shall write Aaron's name on Levi's rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers' houses.
19You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you.
20It shall happen that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me."
21Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron's rod was among their rods.
22Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.
23On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron's rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.
24Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.
25The LORD said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their complaining against me, that they not die."
26Moses did so. As the LORD commanded him, so he did.
27The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!
28Everyone who keeps approaching the LORD's tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?"
