33. They along with all their possessions descended alive to their graves, and the earth closed over them. They perished in the middle of the assembly.
34. All the Israelites who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "The earth may swallow us."
35. Then fire went out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred fifty men offering incense.
36. The Lord spoke to Moses:
37. Tell Eleazar, Aaron the priest’s son, to raise the censers from the fire and scatter the ashes about, because they are holy.
38. Hammer the censers of those who sinned and lost their lives into thin plates for the altar. Since they presented them in the Lord’s presence, they had become holy. They will be a sign for the Israelites.
39. Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers presented by those who had been consumed by fire and hammered them into a covering for the altar,
40. just as the Lord instructed him through Moses. This was a reminder for the Israelites that no outsider who isn’t one of Aaron’s descendants should approach to burn incense in the Lord’s presence, so as not to be like Korah and his community.
41. On the next day the entire Israelite community complained to Moses and Aaron, "You killed the Lord’s people."
42. When the community assembled against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the meeting tent. At that moment the cloud covered it, and the Lord’s glory appeared.
43. Moses and Aaron came to the front of the meeting tent,
44. and the Lord spoke to Moses:
45. Get away from this community, so that I may consume them in an instant.They fell on their faces,
46. and Moses said to Aaron, "Take the censer, put fire from the altar on it, place incense on it, go quickly to the community, and seek reconciliation for them. Indeed, the Lord’s anger has gone out. The plague has begun."
47. Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the middle of the assembly, for the plague had already begun among the people. He burned incense and sought reconciliation for the people.
48. He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped.