And Moses said to Aaron, Take the censer and put fire in it from the altar, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the assembly, and make expiation for them. For wrath has gone forth from Jehovah; the plague has begun.

And Aaron took it as Moses had said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And indeed the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made expiation for the people.

And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.

Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died on account of Korah.

So Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting when the plague had been stopped.

Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Speak to the children of Israel, and take from them rods, one for each father's house, twelve rods from all their leaders according to their fathers' houses; you shall write everyone's name upon his rod.

And you shall write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for the head of each of their fathers' houses.

And you shall place them in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you.

And the rod of the man whom I choose shall bud, and I will put a stop to the murmurings of the children of Israel against Me, which they murmur against you.

So Moses spoke to the children of Israel. And every one of their leaders gave him a rod, one rod for each leader according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among their rods.

And Moses placed the rods before Jehovah in the Tent of the Testimony.

And on the next day Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony, and there was the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi: it had budded; it even put forth buds and produced blossoms and bore ripe almonds.

And Moses brought out all the rods from before Jehovah to all the children of Israel, and they looked; and each one took his rod.

Then Jehovah said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the Testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, so that you may put an end to their murmurings against Me, and they not die.

And Moses did so; just as Jehovah commanded him, so he did.

And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Alas, we die out; we perish; all of us perish.

Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of Jehovah, dies. Are we to completely die out?

Then Jehovah said to Aaron, You and your sons and your father's household with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

And your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring near with you, so that they may be joined to you and minister to you, while you and your sons with you are before the Tent of the Testimony.