< Numbers 16 >
1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took,
2 and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty rulers of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown,
3 and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, Ye take too much upon you, since all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Jehovah is among them. Why then do ye lift up yourselves above the assembly of Jehovah?
4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face.
5 And he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, In the morning Jehovah will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him, even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near to him.
6 This do: Take you censers, Korah, and all his company,
7 and put fire in them, and put incense upon them before Jehovah tomorrow. And it shall be that the man whom Jehovah chooses, he is holy. Ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
8 And Moses said to Korah, Hear now, ye sons of Levi.
9 Is it a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them,
10 and that he has brought thee near, and all thy brothers the sons of Levi with thee? And ye seek the priesthood also?
11 Therefore thou and all thy company are gathered together against Jehovah. And Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?
12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. And they said, We will not come up.
13 Is it a small thing that thou have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must make thyself also a ruler over us?
14 Moreover thou have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will thou put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.
15 And Moses was very angry, and said to Jehovah, Do not respect thou their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
16 And Moses said to Korah, Be thou and all thy company before Jehovah, thou, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.
17 And take ye every man his censer, and put incense upon them, and bring ye before Jehovah every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers, thou also, and Aaron, each his censer.
18 And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19 And Korah assembled all the congregation against them to the door of the tent of meeting. And the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the congregation.
20 And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will thou be angry with all the congregation?
23 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
24 Speak to the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
25 And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
26 And he spoke to the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
27 So they got up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.
28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that Jehovah has sent me to do all these works, for it is not of my own mind.
29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then Jehovah has not sent me.
30 But if Jehovah makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up, with all that pertains to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then ye shall understand that these men have despised Jehovah. (Sheol )
31 And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split asunder that was under them,
32 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that pertained to Korah, and all their goods.
33 So they, and all that pertained to them, went down alive into Sheol. And the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly. (Sheol )
34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them, for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up.
35 And fire came forth from Jehovah, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men who offered the incense.
36 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
37 Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder, for they are holy,
38 even the censers of these sinners against their own lives, and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before Jehovah, therefore they are holy, and they shall be a sign to the sons of Israel.
39 And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, which those who were burnt had offered, and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,
40 to be a memorial to the sons of Israel, to the end that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before Jehovah, that he not be as Korah, and as his company, as Jehovah spoke to him by Moses.
41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of Jehovah.
42 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 Jehovah appeared.
43 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.
44 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
46 And Moses said to Aaron, Take thy censer, and put fire in it from off the altar, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them, for there is wrath gone out from Jehovah. The plague has begun.
47 And Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly. And, behold, the plague had begun among the people. And he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.
49 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah.
50 And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tent of meeting, and the plague was stopped.
