JPS - Numbers - 17

17:1  And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:

17:2  'Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the fire-pans out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are become holy;

17:3  even the fire-pans of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar--for they are become holy, because they were offered before HaShem--that they may be a sign unto the children of Israel.'

17:4  And Eleazar the priest took the brazen fire-pans, which they that were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,

17:5  to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no common man, that is not of the seed of Aaron, draw near to burn incense before HaShem; that he fare not as Korah, and as his company; as HaShem spoke unto him by the hand of Moses.

17:6  But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying: 'Ye have killed the people of HaShem.'

17:7  And it came to pass, when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting; and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of HaShem appeared.

17:8  And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.

17:9  And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:

17:10  'Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.' And they fell upon their faces.

17:11  And Moses said unto Aaron: 'Take thy fire-pan, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly unto the congregation, and make atonement for them; for there is wrath gone out from HaShem: the plague is begun.'

17:12  And Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people; and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.

17:13  And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

17:14  Now they that died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides them that died about the matter of Korah.

17:15  And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tent of meeting, and the plague was stayed.

17:16  And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:

17:17  'Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods; thou shalt write every man's name upon his rod.

17:18  And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for the head of their fathers' houses.

17:19  And thou shalt lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.

17:20  And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his rod shall bud; and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.'

17:21  And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

17:22  And Moses laid up the rods before HaShem in the tent of the testimony.

17:23  And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

17:24  And Moses brought out all the rods from before HaShem unto all the children of Israel; and they looked, and took every man his rod.

17:25  And HaShem said unto Moses: 'Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept there, for a token against the rebellious children; that there may be made an end of their murmurings against Me, that they die not.'

17:26  Thus did Moses; as HaShem commanded him, so did he.

17:27  And the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying: 'Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.

17:28  Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of HaShem, is to die; shall we wholly perish?'