40. It was a memorial for the Israelites, that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to burn incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his company – just as the Lord had spoken by the authority of Moses.
41. But on the next day the whole community of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord’s people!”
42. When the community assembled against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting – and the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
43. Then Moses and Aaron stood before the tent of meeting.
44. The Lord spoke to Moses:
45. “Get away from this community, so that I can consume them in an instant!” But they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.
46. Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take the censer, put burning coals from the altar in it, place incense on it, and go quickly into the assembly and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the Lord – the plague has begun!”
47. So Aaron did as Moses commanded and ran into the middle of the assembly, where the plague was just beginning among the people. So he placed incense on the coals and made atonement for the people.
48. He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.