Numbers 16:34-48

³⁴All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”

³⁵Fire came out from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

³⁶The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

³⁷“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,

³⁸even 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.”

³⁹Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,

⁴⁰to 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.

⁴¹But 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!”

⁴²When 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.

⁴³Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.

⁴⁴The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

⁴⁵“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.

⁴⁶Moses 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.”

⁴⁷Aaron 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.

⁴⁸He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.