Murmuring and Plague

41 But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel (A)grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lords people!” 42 It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and (B)the glory of the Lord appeared. 43 Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 (C)Get away from among this congregation so that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put fire in it from the altar, and place incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and (D)make atonement for them, for (E)wrath has gone out from the Lord, the plague has begun!” 47 Then Aaron took it just as Moses had spoken, and he ran into the midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague had begun among the people. (F)So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was brought to a halt. 49 (G)But those who died by the plague were 14,700 in number, besides those who (H)died on account of Korah. 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been brought to a halt.

Aaron’s Staff Buds

17 [a]Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, and obtain from them a staff for each father’s household: twelve staffs, from all their leaders for their fathers’ households. You shall write each man’s name on his staff, and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi; for there is to be one staff for the head of each of their fathers’ households. You shall then leave them in the tent of meeting in front of (I)the testimony, where I meet with you. And it will come about that the staff of (J)the man whom I choose will sprout. So I will relieve Myself of the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you.” So Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a staff, one for each leader, for their fathers’ households, twelve staffs in all, with the staff of Aaron among their staffs. Then Moses left the staffs before the Lord in (K)the tent of the testimony.

Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, (L)Aaron’s staff for the house of Levi had sprouted and produced buds and bloomed with blossoms, and it yielded ripe almonds. Moses then brought out all the staffs from the presence of the Lord to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put the staff of Aaron (M)back in front of the testimony [b]to be kept as a sign against the [c](N)rebels, so that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me and they do not die.” 11 Moses did so; just as the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 17:1 Ch 17:16 in Heb
  2. Numbers 17:10 Lit for preserving
  3. Numbers 17:10 Lit sons of rebellion

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