34. The people of Israel around them heard their screams and ran away, saying, “The earth will swallow us, too!”
35. Then a fire came down from the Lord and destroyed the two hundred fifty men who had presented the incense.
36. The Lord said to Moses,
37. “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to take all the incense pans out of the fire. Have him scatter the coals a long distance away. But the incense pans are still holy.
38. Take the pans of these men who sinned and lost their lives, and hammer them into flat sheets that will be used to cover the altar. They are holy, because they were presented to the Lord, and they will be a sign to the Israelites.”
39. So Eleazar the priest gathered all the bronze pans that had been brought by the men who were burned up. He had the pans hammered into flat sheets to put on the altar,
40. as the Lord had commanded him through Moses. These sheets were to remind the Israelites that only descendants of Aaron should burn incense before the Lord. Anyone else would die like Korah and his followers.
41. The next day all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have killed the Lord’s people.”
42. When the people gathered to complain against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Meeting Tent, and the cloud covered it. The glory of the Lord appeared.
43. Then Moses and Aaron went in front of the Meeting Tent.
44. The Lord said to Moses,
45. “Move away from these people so I can destroy them quickly.” So Moses and Aaron bowed facedown.
46. Then Moses said to Aaron, “Get your pan, and put fire from the altar and incense in it. Hurry to the people and remove their sin. The Lord is angry with them; the sickness has already started.”