³⁵ And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf^(A) Aaron had made.

Fire From the Lord

11 Now the people complained^(A) about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord,^(B) and when he heard them his anger was aroused.^(C) Then fire from the Lord burned among them^(D) and consumed^(E) some of the outskirts of the camp.

³³ But while the meat was still between their teeth^(A) and before it could be consumed, the anger^(B) of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.^(C)

⁴⁰ Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country,^(A) saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned!^(B)”

⁴¹ But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed!^{(C) 42} Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,^{(D) 43} for the Amalekites^(E) and the Canaanites^(F) will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you^(G) and you will fall by the sword.”

⁴⁴ Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up^(H) toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp.^{(I) 45} Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites^(J) who lived in that hill country^(K) came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.^(L)

⁶ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes^(A) among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.^(B)

⁹ but those who died in the plague^(A) numbered 24,000.^(B)

David Enrolls the Fighting Men^(A)

24 Again^(B) the anger of the Lord burned against Israel,^(C) and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of^(D) Israel and Judah.”

¹⁵ So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.^(A)