Study Desk

And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot,

Then they assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Yahweh is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh?"

Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your congregation,

is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to perform the service of the tabernacle of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also?

Therefore you and all your congregation are gathered together against Yahweh; but as for Aaron, who is he that you grumble against him?"

And Moses said, "By this you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not from my heart.

Then all Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up!"

"Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, and you scatter the burning coals abroad; for they are holy.

As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, make them into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they brought them near before Yahweh, and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel."

So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had brought near, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar,

And Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from Yahweh, the plague has begun!"

Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people.

Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.

"Speak to the sons of Israel, and get from them a rod for each father's household: twelve rods from all their leaders according to their fathers' households. You shall write each name on his rod,

and write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi; for there is one rod for the head of each of their fathers' households.

Moses therefore spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers' households, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among their rods.

Now it happened on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced flowers, and it bore ripe almonds.

And they shall be joined with you and keep the responsibility of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; but an outsider may not come near you.

And behold, I Myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, given to Yahweh, to perform the service for the tent of meeting.