Numbers 16:38   (Read all of Numbers 16)

the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites."

Numbers 16:39   (Read all of Numbers 16)

So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,

Numbers 16:40   (Read all of Numbers 16)

as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the Lord, or he would become like Korah and his followers.

Numbers 16:41   (Read all of Numbers 16)

The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. "You have killed the Lord's people," they said.

Numbers 16:42   (Read all of Numbers 16)

But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared.

Numbers 16:44   (Read all of Numbers 16)

and the Lord said to Moses,

Numbers 16:45   (Read all of Numbers 16)

"Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once." And they fell facedown.

Numbers 16:46   (Read all of Numbers 16)

Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started."

Numbers 16:47   (Read all of Numbers 16)

So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them.

Numbers 16:48   (Read all of Numbers 16)

He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.

Numbers 16:50   (Read all of Numbers 16)

Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

Numbers 17:1   (Read all of Numbers 17)

The Lord said to Moses,

Numbers 17:2   (Read all of Numbers 17)

"Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff.

Numbers 17:3   (Read all of Numbers 17)

On the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe.

Numbers 17:5   (Read all of Numbers 17)

The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites."

Numbers 17:6   (Read all of Numbers 17)

So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron's staff was among them.

Numbers 17:7   (Read all of Numbers 17)

Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.

Numbers 17:8   (Read all of Numbers 17)

The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.

Numbers 17:9   (Read all of Numbers 17)

Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the Lord's presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.

Numbers 17:10   (Read all of Numbers 17)

The Lord said to Moses, "Put back Aaron's staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die."

Numbers 17:12   (Read all of Numbers 17)

The Israelites said to Moses, "We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!

Numbers 18:1   (Read all of Numbers 18)

The Lord said to Aaron, "You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood.

Numbers 18:2   (Read all of Numbers 18)

Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law.

Numbers 18:3   (Read all of Numbers 18)

They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.