Numbers 17

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said,	1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 'Tel Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pick the censers out of the smouldering remains and scatterthe fire from them away from here,	2 "Tell Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, to remove the censers from the embers; and scatter the fire some distance away,
3 for these sinful censers have become sanctified at the price of human lives. Since they were broughtbefore Yahweh and thus became consecrated, they must be hammered into sheets to cover the altar. They willbe an object-lesson to the Israelites.'	3 for these sinners have consecrated the censers at the cost of their lives. Have them hammered into plates to cover the altar, because in being presented before the LORD they have become sacred. In this way they shall serve as a sign to the Israelites."
4 The priest Eleazar took the bronze censers which had been carried by the men destroyed by the fire.They were hammered into sheets to cover the altar.	4 So Eleazar the priest had the bronze censers of those burned during the offering hammered into a covering for the altar,
5 They are a reminder to the Israelites that no unauthorised person, no one not of Aaron's line, mayapproach and offer incense before Yahweh, on pain of suffering the fate of Korah and his party, as Yahweh hadsaid through Moses.	5 in keeping with the orders which the LORD had given him through Moses. This cover was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no layman, no one who was not a descendant of Aaron, should approach the altar to offer incense before the LORD, lest he meet the fate of Korah and his band.
6 On the following day, the whole community of Israelites were muttering against Moses and Aaron andsaying, 'You are responsible for killing Yahweh's people!'	6 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "It is you who have slain the LORD'S people."
7 Now, as the community was banding together against Moses and Aaron, they turned towards theTent of Meeting, and there was the cloud covering it, and the glory of Yahweh appeared.	7 But while the community was deliberating against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the meeting tent, and the cloud now covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.
8 Moses and Aaron then went to the front of the Tent of Meeting.	8 Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the meeting tent,
9 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,	9 and the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
10 'Get away from this community. I am going to destroy them here and now.' They threw themselveson their faces.	10 "Depart from this community, that I may consume them at once." But they fell prostrate.
11 Moses then said to Aaron, 'Take a censer, put fire in it from the altar, place incense on it and hurryto the community to perform the rite of expiation for them: for retribution has come from Yahweh, plague hasbroken out.'	11 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, and bring it quickly to the community to make atonement for them; for wrath has come forth from the LORD and the blow is falling."
12 Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the middle of the community, but plague had alreadybroken out among the people. He put in the incense and performed the rite of expiation for the people.	12 Obeying the orders of Moses, Aaron took his censer and ran in among the community, where the blow was already falling on the people. Then, as he offered the incense and made atonement for the people,
13 Then he stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.	13 standing there between the living and the dead, the scourge was checked.
14 There were fourteen thousand seven hundred victims of the plague, apart from those who diedbecause of Korah.	14 Yet fourteen thousand seven hundred died from the scourge, in addition to those who died because of Korah.
15 Aaron then went back to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting; the plague had been halted.	15 When the scourge had been checked, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the meeting tent.
16 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,	16 The LORD now said to Moses,
17 'Tel the Israelites to give you a branch for each of their families, one for each leader of each family:twelve branches. Write the name of each on his branch;	17 "Speak to the Israelites and get one staff from them for each ancestral house, twelve staffs in all, one from each of their tribal princes. Mark each man's name on his staff;
18 and on the branch of Levi write Aaron's name, since the head of the Levite families must have abranch too.	18 and mark Aaron's name on Levi's staff, for the head of Levi's ancestral house shall also have a staff.
19 You wil then put them inside the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I make myselfknown to you.	19 Then lay them down in the meeting tent, in front of the commandments, where I meet you.
20 The man whose branch sprouts will be the one I have chosen; this is how I shal put an end to themutterings of the Israelites about you.'	20 There the staff of the man of my choice shall sprout. Thus will I suppress from my presence the Israelites' grumbling against you."
21 Moses spoke to the Israelites, and al their leaders gave him one branch each, twelve branches in alfor their families; Aaron's branch was among them.	21 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their princes gave him staffs, twelve in all, one from each tribal prince; and Aaron's staff was with them.
22 Moses placed them before Yahweh in the Tent of the Testimony.	22 Then Moses laid the staffs down before the LORD in the tent of the commandments.
23 On the fol owing day Moses went to the Tent of the Testimony and there, already sprouting, wasAaron's branch, representing the House of Levi; buds had formed, flowers had bloomed and almonds hadalready ripened.	23 The next day, when Moses entered the tent, Aaron's staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth not only shoots, but blossoms as well, and even bore ripe almonds!
24 Moses then brought out all the branches from before Yahweh to al the Israelites; they examinedthem and each one took back his own branch.	24 Moses thereupon brought out all the staffs from the LORD'S presence to the Israelites. After each prince identified his own staff and took it,
25 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Put Aaron's branch back in front of the Testimony, where it wil have itsritual place as a warning to the rebel ious; thus you will rid me of their muttering for good, without their incurringdeath.'	25 the LORD said to Moses, "Put back Aaron's staff in front of the commandments, to be kept there as a warning to the rebellious, so that their grumbling may cease before me; if it does not, they will die."
26 Moses did as Yahweh had ordered. That is what he did.	26 And Moses did as the LORD had commanded him.
27 The Israelites then said to Moses, 'We are lost! We are dead men! We are al dead men!	27 Then the Israelites cried out to Moses, "We are perishing; we are lost, we are all lost!
28 Anyone who approaches Yahweh's Dwel ing with an offering wil die. Are we to be doomed to thelast man?'	28 Every time anyone approaches the Dwelling of the LORD, he dies! Are we to perish to the last man?"