Numbers 17 · Parashat Korach

And the Lord spoke to Moshe saying,

Speak to El῾azar the son of Aharon the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they have become holy.

As for the censers of these sinners against their own lives, let them make them into beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they have become holy: and they shall be a sign to the children of Yisra᾽el.

And El῾azar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they made them into beaten plates for a covering of the altar:

to be a memorial to the children of Yisra᾽el, that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aharon, come near to offer incense before the Lord: that he be not like Qoraĥ and his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moshe.

But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Yisra᾽el murmured against Moshe and against Aharon, saying, You have killed the people of the Lord.

And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moshe and against Aharon, that they looked toward the Tent of Meeting: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

And Moshe and Aharon came before the Tent of Meeting.

And the Lord spoke to Moshe, saying,

Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

And Moshe said to Aharon. Take a censer, and put fire in it from off the altar, and put on incense, and take it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them: for wrath is gone out from the Lord; the plague has begun.

And Aharon took as Moshe commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague had begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made atonement for the people.

And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand, seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Qoraĥ.

And Aharon returned to Moshe to the door of the Tent of Meeting: and the plague was stayed.

And the Lord spoke to Moshe, saying,

Speak to the children of Yisra᾽el, and take of every one of them a rod, one for each father’s house, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers: twelve rods: write every man’s name upon his rod.

And thou shalt write Aharon’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

And thou shalt lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony, where I will meet with you.

And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Yisra᾽el, whereby they murmur against you.

And Moshe spoke to the children of Yisra᾽el, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses: twelve rods: and the rod of Aharon was among their rods.

And Moshe laid up the rods before the Lord in the tent of the Testimony.

And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moshe went into the tent of the Testimony: and, behold, the rod of Aharon for the house of Levi had sprouted, and brought forth buds, and blossomed, and yielded almonds.

And Moshe brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the children of Yisra᾽el: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

And the Lord said to Moshe, Put Aharon’s rod back before the Testimony, to be kept for a token against rebels; that there may be an end of their murmurings against me, that they die not.

And Moshe did so: as the Lord commanded him, so he did.

And the children of Yisra᾽el spoke to Moshe, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.

Everyone that comes at all near the tabernacle of the Lord dies; shall we totally perish?