Numbers 16
1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
Then, behold, Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and also On the son of Peleth, of the sons of Ruben,
2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
rose up against Moses, with two hundred fifty others of the sons of Israel, leading men of the assembly, and who, at the time of a council, would be called by name.
3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Yhwh is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of Yhwh?
And when they had stood against Moses and Aaron, they said: “Let it be sufficient for you that the entire multitude is of holy ones, and that the Lord is among them. Why do you elevate yourselves above the people of the Lord?”
4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
When Moses had heard this, he fell prone on his face.
5 And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow Yhwh will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.
And speaking to Korah, and to the entire multitude, he said: “In the morning, the Lord will cause it to be known who belongs to him, and which holy ones he will join to himself. And whomever he will choose, they shall be close to him.
6 This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
Therefore, do this: Each one of you, Korah and all your associates, take your censer,
7 And put fire therein, and put incense in them before Yhwh to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom Yhwh doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
and drawing fire into it tomorrow, place incense upon it before the Lord. And whomever he will choose, the same shall be holy. You sons of Levi have been raised up greatly.”
8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:
And he said again to Korah: “Listen, sons of Levi.
9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of Yhwh, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
Is it a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from all the people, and has joined you to himself, so that you would serve him in the rituals of the tabernacle, and stand before gatherings of the people, and minister to him?
10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?
Was the reason that he caused you and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, to approach him, so that you would even claim for yourselves the priesthood too,
11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against Yhwh: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?
and so that your entire group would stand against the Lord? For what is Aaron that you should murmur against him?”
12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:
Therefore, Moses sent to call for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, who responded: “We will not come.
13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?
Is it a small matter to you, that you have led us away from a land that was flowing with milk and honey, so as to kill us in the desert, unless you could also be a ruler over us?
14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.
You have led us, it is true, to a land that flows with streams of milk and honey, and you have given us possession of fields and vineyards. But will you also tear out our eyes? We will not come.”
15 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto Yhwh, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
And Moses, being very angry, said to the Lord: “Do not look with favor on their sacrifices. You know that I have not accepted from them, at any time, so much as a young donkey, nor have I afflicted any of them.”
16 And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before Yhwh, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:
And he said to Korah: “You and your congregation, stand alone before the Lord, and apart from Aaron, tomorrow.
17 And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before Yhwh every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.
Let each one of you take censers, and place incense in them, offering to the Lord two hundred fifty censers. Let Aaron also hold his censer.”
18 And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.
When they had done this, Moses and Aaron stood up,
19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of Yhwh appeared unto all the congregation.
and, having crowded the entire multitude close to them at the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.
20 And Yhwh spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
And the Lord, speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:
21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
“Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation, so that I may suddenly destroy them.”
22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
But they fell prone on their faces, and they said, “O most strong One, the God of the spirits of all flesh, should your anger rage against all, for the sin of one?”
23 And Yhwh spake unto Moses, saying,
And the Lord said to Moses:
24 Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
“Instruct the entire people to separate from the tents of Korah, and Dathan, and Abiram.”
25 And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram. And the elders of Israel followed him,
26 And he spake unto 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.
and he said to the crowd, “Withdraw from the tabernacles of these impious men, and touch nothing which pertains to them, lest you become involved in their sins.”
27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
And when they had withdrawn from their tents all around, Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their pavilions, with their wives and children, and with all their associates.
28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that Yhwh hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
And Moses said: “By this shall you know that the Lord has sent me to do all that you discern, and that I have not brought these things out of my own heart:
29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then Yhwh hath not sent me.
If these men pass away by the common death of men, or if they will be visited by a scourge, of a kind by which others are often visited, then the Lord did not send me.
30 But if Yhwh make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked Yhwh. (Sheol h7585)
But if the Lord accomplishes something new, so that the earth opens its mouth and swallows them whole, along with everything that belongs to them, and they descend alive into the underworld, then you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord.” (Sheol h7585)
31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
Therefore, as soon as he had ceased to speak, the earth broke open under their feet.
32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
And opening its mouth, it devoured them with their tabernacles and their entire substance.
33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. (Sheol h7585)
And they descended alive, the ground closing around them, into the underworld, and they perished from the midst of the multitude. (Sheol h7585)
34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
Yet truly, all of Israel, which was standing all around, took flight at the clamor of those who were perishing, saying, “Lest perhaps the earth may swallow us whole also.”
35 And there came out a fire from Yhwh, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
Then, too, a fire, going forth from the Lord, put to death the two hundred fifty men who were offering the incense.
36 And Yhwh spake unto Moses, saying,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
37 Speak unto 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 hallowed.
“Instruct Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to take up the censers which lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire to one side and another, because they were sanctified
38 The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Yhwh, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.
in the deaths of these sinners. And let him form them into plates, and affix them to the altar, because incense had been offered in them to the Lord, and they were sanctified, and so that the sons of Israel may discern in them a sign and a memorial.”
39 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:
Therefore, Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, by which those whom the burning devoured had made an offering, and he formed them into plates, affixing them to the altar,
40 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 Yhwh; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Yhwh said to him by the hand of Moses.
so that the sons of Israel would have, thereafter, something to admonish them, lest any stranger, or anyone who is not of the offspring of Aaron, might approach to offer incense to the Lord, and lest he endure what happened to Korah, and to all his congregation, when the Lord spoke to Moses.
41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of Yhwh.
Then, the following day, the entire multitude of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: “You have put to death the people of the Lord.”
42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yhwh appeared.
And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased,
43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. But after they had entered it, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
44 And Yhwh spake unto Moses, saying,
And the Lord said to Moses:
45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
“Withdraw from the midst of this multitude, and I will destroy them immediately.” And while they were lying on the ground,
46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Yhwh; the plague is begun.
Moses said to Aaron: “Take the censer, and draw fire into it from the altar; place incense upon it, and continue on, quickly, to the people, to pray for them. For already wrath has gone forth from the Lord, and the scourge rages.”
47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
When Aaron had done this, and he had run into the midst of the multitude, which the burning fire was now destroying, he offered the incense.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the scourge ceased.
49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.
But the number of those who were struck down was fourteen thousand men, and seven hundred, aside from those who had perished in the sedition of Korah.
50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.
And Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, after the destruction quieted.
