33. So they went down alive to the world of the dead, with their possessions. The earth closed over them, and they vanished.
34. All the people of Israel who were there fled when they heard their cry. They shouted, “Run! The earth might swallow us too!”
35. Then the Lord sent a fire that blazed out and burnt up the 250 men who had presented the incense.
36. Then the Lord said to Moses,
37. “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the bronze firepans from the remains of the men who have been burnt, and scatter the coals from the firepans somewhere else, because the firepans are holy.
38. They became holy when they were presented at the Lord's altar. So take the firepans of these men who were put to death for their sin, beat them into thin plates, and make a covering for the altar. It will be a warning to the people of Israel.”
39. So Eleazar the priest took the firepans and had them beaten into thin plates to make a covering for the altar.
40. This was a warning to the Israelites that no one who was not a descendant of Aaron should come to the altar to burn incense for the Lord. Otherwise he would be destroyed like Korah and his men. All this was done as the Lord had commanded Eleazar through Moses.
41. The next day the whole community complained against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have killed some of the Lord's people.”
42. After they had all gathered to protest to Moses and Aaron, they turned towards the Tent and saw that the cloud was covering it and that the dazzling light of the Lord's presence had appeared.
43. Moses and Aaron went and stood in front of the Tent,
44. and the Lord said to Moses,
45. “Stand back from these people, and I will destroy them on the spot!”The two of them bowed down with their faces to the ground,
46. and Moses said to Aaron, “Take your firepan, put live coals from the altar in it, and put some incense on the coals. Then hurry with it to the people and perform the ritual of purification for them. Hurry! The Lord's anger has already broken out and an epidemic has already begun.”
47. Aaron obeyed, took his firepan and ran into the middle of the assembled people. When he saw that the plague had already begun, he put the incense on the coals and performed the ritual of purification for the people.
48. This stopped the plague, and he was left standing between the living and the dead.
49. The number of people who died was 14,700, not counting those who died in Korah's rebellion.
50. When the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tent.