1 And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: 2 Speak to Elazar bar Aharon the priest, that he take out the censers from among the burnings, and throwaway the fire, for they are consecrated. 3 The censers of those guilty men who sinned against their souls, let him make of them beaten plates, to cover the altar; for they had offered them before the Lord, and they are consecrated; and they shall be for a sign unto the children of Israel. 4 And Elazar the priest took the golden censers, with which they who were burned had offered, and beat them abroad, for a covering for the altar, 5 to be a memorial to the sons of Israel, that no strange man who is not of the seed of Aharon shall approach to burn sweet incense before the Lord, and that he be not as Korach and his company, as the Lord had said to him by the hand of Mosheh.

6 But on the day which followed, all the congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Mosheh and against Aharon, saying: You have caused the death of the Lord’s people. 7 And it was, while the congregation gathered against Mosheh and against Aharon, that they looked toward the tabernacle of ordinance; and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord was revealed. 8 And Mosheh and Aharon went up before the tabernacle of ordinance; 9 And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: 10 separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation, that I may now consume them. But they fell upon their faces. 11 And Mosheh said to Aharon: Take the censer, and put fire upon it from the altar, and lay on sweet incense, and go quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for anger hath gone forth from before the Lord, the plague hath begun. 12 And Aharon took, as Mosheh had said, and ran into the midst of the congregation, and, behold, the plague had begun among the people; and he put on sweet incense and made atonement for the people. 13 And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague ceased. 14 But they who died of the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside those who died on account of the matter of Korach. 15 And Aharon returned to Mosheh, unto the door of the tabernacle of ordinance, and the plague ceased.

16 And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: 17 Speak with the sons of Israel, and take from them severally a rod, according the house of their fathers, twelve rods, and write thou the name of each man upon his rod. 18 And upon the rod of Levi thou shalt write the name of Aharon; for one rod (only) there shall be for each chief of their father’s house. 19 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of ordinance before the testimony, where I will appoint My Word to be with thee. 20 And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I will choose shall bud; and I will make to cease from before Me the murmuring; of the sons of Israel, with which they have murmured against you. 21 And Mosheh spake with the sons of Israel; and all their chiefs gave to him, every chief one rod, according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods. And Aharon’s rod was among their rods. 22 And Mosheh laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of the testimony.

23 And it came to pass on the following day, that Mosheh went into the tabernacle of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aharon of the house of Levi had germinated, and produced branches, and had blossomed, and ripened almonds. 24 And Mosheh brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the sons of Israel, and they recognized and took every man his rod. 25 And the Lord said to Mosheh: Take back Aharon’s rod before the testimony, to be kept for a sign unto the rebellious people, that their murmurings before Me may come to an end, and they die not. 26 And Mosheh did as the Lord commanded, so did he.

27 And the children of Israel spake to Mosheh, saying: Behold, some of us are slain with the sword; and, behold, some are swallowed up by the earth; and, behold, some perish with the plague. 28 Whoever, approaching, approacheth the tabernacle of the Lord dieth; behold, we are consumed with death.