Numbers 16
1 Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi tried to take over leadership, along with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On, son of Peleth, who were from the tribe of Reuben.
And behold Core the son of Isaar, the son of Caath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab, and Hon the son of Pheleth of the children of Ruben,
2 They rebelled against Moses, and were joined by 250 well-respected Israelite leaders and members of the assembly.
Rose up against Moses, and with them two hundred and fifty others of the children of Israel, leading men of the synagogue, and who in the time of assembly were called by name.
3 They joined together in opposition to Moses and Aaron, telling them, “You've taken too much power for yourselves! Every one of the Israelites is holy, and the Lord is among them. So why do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?”
And when they had stood up against Moses and Aaron, they said: Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them: Why lift you up yourselves above the people of the Lord?
4 When Moses heard what they were saying, he fell facedown on the ground.
When Moses heard this, he fell flat on his face:
5 Then he told Korah and all those with him, “In the morning the Lord is going to make it clear who is his and who is holy, and allow that person to approach him. He will only allow whoever he chooses to approach him.
And speaking to Core and all the multitude, he said: In the morning the Lord will make known who belong to him, and the holy he will join to himself: and whom he shall choose, they shall approach to him.
6 This is what you, Korah, and everyone with you are going to do. Take some incense burners,
Do this therefore: Take every man of you your censers, thou Core, and all thy company.
7 and tomorrow put incense in them and set it on fire in the presence of the Lord. Then the man the Lord chooses is the one who is holy. It is you Levites who are taking too much power for yourselves!”
And putting fire in them tomorrow, put incense upon it before the Lord: and whomsoever he shall choose, the same shall be holy: you take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
8 Moses also told Korah, “Listen, you Levites!
And he said again to Core: Hear ye sons of Levi.
9 Do you think it's something insignificant that the God of Israel chose you from all the other Israelites and allowed you to approach him and carry out the work in the Lord's Tabernacle, to stand before the Israelites and serve them?
Is it a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath spared you from all the people, and joined you to himself, that you should serve him in the service of the tabernacle, and should stand before the congregation of the people, and should minister to him?
10 He has allowed you the privilege of approaching him, Korah, you and all the other Levites, but now you want to have the priesthood as well!
Did he therefore make thee and all thy brethren the sons of Levi to approach unto him, that you should challenge to yourselves the priesthood also,
11 So in reality you and those who have joined you are fighting against the Lord—because who is Aaron that you should complain about him?”
And that all thy company should stand against the Lord? for what is Aaron that you murmur against him?
12 Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, “We're not going to appear before you!
Then Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab. But they answered: We will not come.
13 Haven't you done enough by taking us away from a land flowing with milk and honey in order to kill us out here in the desert? Do you have to make yourself a dictator as well, someone to rule us?
Is it a small matter to thee, that thou hast brought us out of a land that flowed with milk and honey, to kill us in the desert, except thou rule also like a lord over us?
14 On top of that you haven't taken us to a land flowing with milk and honey or given us fields and vineyards to own. Do you really think you can fool everyone? No, we will not attend!”
Thou best brought us indeed into a land that floweth with rivers of milk and honey, and hast given us possessions of fields and vineyards; wilt thou also pull out our eyes? We will not come.
15 Moses got really angry and said to the Lord, “Don't accept their offerings. I have never taken even a donkey from them or treated any of them badly.”
Moses therefore being very angry, raid to the Lord: Respect not their sacrifices: thou knowest that I have not taken of them so much as a young ass at any time, nor have injured any of them.
16 Moses told Korah, “You and all those who have joined you must appear before the Lord tomorrow—all of you and Aaron too.
And he said to Core: Do thou and thy congregation stand apart before the Lord tomorrow, and Aaron apart.
17 Each one will take his incense burner, put incense in it, and offer it before the Lord. All 250 of you will use your incense burners and Aaron will as well.”
Take every one of you censers, and put incense upon them, offering to the Lord two hundred and fifty censers: let Aaron also hold his censer.
18 So each one took his incense burner, put incense in it, set it on fire, and stood together with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
When they had done this, Moses and Aaron standing,
19 When Korah had gathered all his rebellious group at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Lord's glory appeared before the whole congregation.
And had drawn up all the multitude against them to the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.
20 The Lord told Moses and Aaron,
And the Lord speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:
21 “Step away from these Israelites and I will destroy them right away.”
Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them.
22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown on the ground said, “God—God of everything that lives—when it's just one man who sins, do you have to be angry with the everybody?”
They fell flat on their face, and said: O most mighty, the God of the spirits of all flesh, for one man’s sin shall thy wrath rage against all?
23 Then the Lord told Moses,
And the Lord said to Moses:
24 “Tell the people to move away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
Command the whole people to separate themselves from the tents of Core and Dathan and Abiron.
25 So Moses went over to Dathan and Abiram, and the Israelite elders of Israel followed him.
And Moses arose, and went to Dathan and Abiron: and the ancients of Israel following him,
26 He ordered the people, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men and don't touch anything that belongs to them, otherwise you will be destroyed along with them in all their sins.”
He said to the multitude: Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be involved in their sins.
27 The people moved away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances to their tents along with their wives, children and little ones.
And when they were departed from their tents round about, Dathan and Abiron coming out stood in the entry of their pavilions with their wives and children, and all the people.
28 Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord did send me to carry out everything I've done, for it wasn't anything I thought up.
And Moses said: By this you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all things that you see, and that I have not forged them of my own head:
29 If these men die a natural death, experiencing the destiny of every human being, then the Lord didn't sent me.
If these men die the common death of men, and if they be visited with a plague, wherewith others also are wont to be visited, the Lord did not send me.
30 But if the Lord does something totally different, and the earth opens up and swallows them down along with everything that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have acted with contempt to the Lord.” (Sheol h7585)
But if the Lord do a new thing, and the earth opening her mouth swallow them down, and all things that belong to them, and they go down alive into hell, you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord. (Sheol h7585)
31 Immediately Moses finished saying all this the ground under the rebels split apart,
And immediately as he had made an end of speaking, the earth broke asunder under their feet:
32 and the earth opened up and swallowed them and their households down, as well as everyone who was there with Korah and everything that belonged to them.
And opening her mouth, devoured them with their tents and all their substance.
33 They went down alive into Sheol with all that they had. The earth closed over them, and they were no more. (Sheol h7585)
And they went down alive into hell the ground closing upon them, and they perished from among the people. (Sheol h7585)
34 When they heard their cries, all the Israelites nearby ran away, shouting, “Watch out! The earth could swallow us too!”
But all Israel, that was standing round about, fled at the cry of them that were perishing: saying: Lest perhaps the earth swallow us up also.
35 Fire burst out from the Lord and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.
And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.
36 Then the Lord said to Moses,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
37 “Tell Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, to collect the holy incense burners from among those who have been burned up, and scatter the coals used for the incense well away from the camp.
Command Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers that lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire of one side and the other: because they are sanctified
38 Have the incense burners of those who sinned at the expense of their own lives hammered into metal sheets as a covering for the altar, because they were offered before the Lord, and so have become holy. They will be a reminder to Israelites of what happened.”
In the deaths of the sinners: and let him beat them into plates, and fasten them to the altar, because incense hath been offered in them to the Lord, and they are sanctified, that the children of Israel may see them for a sign and a memorial.
39 So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze incense burners used by those who had been burned up, and had them hammered out as a covering for the altar,
Then Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherein they had offered, whom the burning fire had devoured, and beat them into plates, fastening them to the altar:
40 following the instructions given to him from the Lord through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one who is not a descendant of Aaron should come and offer incense before the Lord, otherwise they could end up like Korah and those with him.
That the children of Israel might have for the time to come wherewith they should be admonished, that no stranger or any one that is not of seed of Aaron should come near to offer incense to the Lord, lest he should suffer as Core suffered, and all his congregation, according as the Lord spoke to Moses.
41 The next day all the Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord's people!”
The following day all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: You have killed the people of the Lord.
42 But as the people gathered to confront them, Moses and Aaron went over to the Tent of Meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it and the Lord's glory appeared.
And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased,
43 Moses and Aaron went and stood at the front of the Tent of Meeting,
Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. And when the were gone into it, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
44 and the Lord said to Moses,
And the Lord said to Moses:
45 “Get away from these people and I will finish them off immediately.” Moses and Aaron fell facedown on the ground.
Get you out from the midst of this multitude, this moment will I destroy them. And as they were lying on the ground,
46 Moses told Aaron, “Put some coals from the altar and some incense in your incense burner. Then run to the people and make them right before the Lord, for the Lord is angry with them and a plague has started.”
Moses said to Aaron: Take the censer, and putting fire in it from the altar, put incense upon it, and go quickly to the people to pray for them: for already wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague rageth.
47 Aaron took the incense burner just as Moses had told him and ran into the middle of the assembly. He saw that the plague had started to affect the people so he offered the incense and made the people right with the Lord.
When Aaron had done this, and had run to the midst of the multitude which the burning fire was now destroying, he offered the incense:
48 He stood between those who had died and those who were still alive, and the plague was stopped.
And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the plague ceased.
49 However, 14,700 died from the plague in addition to those who'd died because of Korah.
And the number of them that were slain was fourteen thousand and seven hundred men, besides them that had perished in the sedition of Core.
50 Then Aaron went back to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting because the plague had been stopped.
And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant after the destruction was over.
