⁴⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer^(A) and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly^(B) to make atonement^(C) for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord;^(D) the plague^(E) has started.”

¹⁹ From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons^(A) to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites^(B) and to make atonement for them^(C) so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

⁶ Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar,^(A) “Do not let your hair become unkempt^[a](B) and do not tear your clothes,^(C) or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community.^(D) But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn^(E) for those the Lord has destroyed by fire.

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal^(A) in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips;^(B) your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.^(C)”

²⁴ Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. God’s wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering,^(A) and the number was not entered in the book^[a] of the annals of King David.

⁵ “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar,^(A) so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again.

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)

³ Another angel,^(A) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,^(B) on the golden altar^(C) in front of the throne. ⁴ The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God^(D) from the angel’s hand. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,^(E) and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,^(F) rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.^(G)