34. The Israelites heard the cries of the men being destroyed. So they all ran in different directions and said, “The earth will swallow us too!”
35. Then a fire came from the Lord and destroyed the 250 men who were offering the incense.
36. The Lord said to Moses,
37-38. “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to get all the incense pans from the fire. Tell him to scatter the coals and ashes. These men sinned against me, and their sin cost them their lives. But the incense pans are still holy. The pans became holy when people gave them to the Lord. Hammer the pans into flat sheets. Use the metal sheets to cover the altar. This will be a warning to all the Israelites.”
39. So Eleazar the priest gathered together all the bronze pans that the men had brought. These men were all burned up, but the pans were still there. Then Eleazar told some men to hammer the pans into flat metal. Then he put the metal sheets on the altar.
40. He did this the way the Lord commanded him through Moses. This was a sign to help the Israelites remember that only someone from the family of Aaron should burn incense before the Lord. Any other person who burns incense before the Lord will die like Korah and his followers.
41. The next day all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron. They said, “You killed the Lord’S people.”