Study Desk

Do this, Korah and all who are with you. Take pots for burning special perfume.

Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has set you apart from the rest of the people of Israel? He has brought you near to Himself. He has you do the work around the meeting tent of the Lord. And He has you stand in front of the people to care for them.

So you and all who are with you are gathered together against the Lord. But as for Aaron, who is he that you complain against him?"

Moses said, "By this you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works. For this is not my doing.

And all Israel who were around them ran away at their cry. For they said, "The earth may take us too!"

"Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the religious leader to take the fire pots out of the fire. For they are holy. Then spread the burning pieces far apart.

Let the fire pots of these men who have sinned and lost their lives be made into beaten plates to cover the altar. For they did bring them to the Lord and they are holy. They will be something special for the people of Israel to see."

Moses said to Aaron, "Take your fire pot and put fire in it from the altar, and lay special perfume on it. Then be quick to bring it to the people and pay for their sin. For anger has gone out from the Lord. The disease has come!"

So Aaron took it as Moses said, and ran to the people. The disease had already come upon them. He put on the special perfume and paid for the sin of the people.

Then Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the meeting tent, for the disease had been stopped.

"Speak to the people of Israel. Get walking sticks from them, one for each father's house. Get twelve walking sticks, from all their leaders by their fathers' houses. Write each man's name on his stick.

Write Aaron's name on the walking stick of Levi. For there will be one walking stick for the head of each father's house.

So Moses spoke to the people of Israel. All their leaders each gave him a walking stick, one for each leader by their fathers' houses, twelve walking sticks. And the walking stick of Aaron was among their walking sticks.

The next day Moses went into the meeting tent of the Law. And he saw that the walking stick of Aaron for the house of Levi had begun to grow buds and flowers and almonds.

The Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons and those of your father's house will carry the guilt for any sin done in the meeting tent. And you and your sons with you will carry the guilt of any sin of the religious leaders.

See, I Myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the Lord, to do the work for the meeting tent.

This will be yours from the most holy gifts, kept from the fire: every gift of theirs, even every grain gift, every sin gift and every guilt gift, which they bring to Me. They will be most holy for you and your sons.

But do not free the first-born of a bull or sheep or goat. For they are holy. You will put their blood on the altar and burn their fat as a gift by fire, a pleasing smell to the Lord.

I have given to you and your sons and daughters, for a share forever, all the holy gifts which the people of Israel bring to the Lord. It is an agreement of salt forever before the Lord for you and your children with you."

"See, I have given a tenth part of everything in Israel to the Levites, in return for the work they do, the work of the meeting tent.