³⁹So Eleazar the priest^v collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death,^w and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, ⁴⁰as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense^x before the Lord,^y or he would become like Korah and his followers.^z

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Cross references

v 2 Ch 26:18
wSee Lev 20:14
xSee Ex 30:1; 2 Ki 12:3; Isa 1:13; 66:3; Jer 41:5; 44:3
ySee Ex 30:9; 2 Ch 26:18
zSee Nu 3:10

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar, to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the Lord, lest he become like Korah and his company—as the Lord said to him through Moses.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

So the priest Eleazar took the bronze firepans that those who were burned had presented, and they were hammered into plating for the altar, just as the Lord commanded him through Moses. It was to be a reminder for the Israelites that no unauthorized person outside the lineage of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the Lord and become like Korah and his followers.

NLTNew Living Translation

So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 bronze incense burners that had been used by the men who died in the fire, and the bronze was hammered into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person—no one who was not a descendant of Aaron—should ever enter the Lord’s presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the Lord’s instructions to Moses were carried out.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that the ones who were burned presented, and they hammered them out thinly as plating for the altar; it was a memorial for the Israelites, so that no strange man who is not from the offspring of Aaron should approach the presence of Yahweh to burn a smoke offering; he will not be like Korah and his company, just as Yahweh had spoken to him by the hand of Moses.

KJV 1900King James Version

And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar: To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.

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