Numbers 16
1 And Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, takes both Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben,
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 rise up before Moses with men of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called of the convention, 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 are assembled against Moses and against Aaron, and say to them, “Enough of you! For all the congregation—all of them [are] holy, and YHWH [is] in their midst; and why do you lift yourselves up above the assembly 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 Moses hears, and falls on his face,
When Moses had heard this, he fell prone on his face.
5 and he speaks to Korah and to all his congregation, saying, “Indeed, [in the] morning YHWH may cause [you] to know those who are His and him who is holy, and has brought [him] near to Him; even him whom He fixes on He brings near to 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 Do this: take censers for yourselves—Korah and all his company—
Therefore, do this: Each one of you, Korah and all your associates, take your censer,
7 and put fire in them and put incense on them before YHWH tomorrow, and it has been, the man whom YHWH chooses, he [is] the holy one—enough of you, 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 says to Korah, “Now hear, sons of Levi;
And he said again to Korah: “Listen, sons of Levi.
9 is it little 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 Dwelling Place of YHWH, and to stand before the congregation to serve 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 Indeed, He brings you near, and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you—and you have also sought the priesthood!
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 Therefore, you and all your congregation are meeting against YHWH; and Aaron, what [is] he, that you 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 sends to call for Dathan and for Abiram, sons of Eliab, and they say, “We do 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 little that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to put us to death in a wilderness, that you also certainly make yourself 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 Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor do you give an inheritance of field and vineyard to us; do you pick out the eyes of these men? We do 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 it is very displeasing to Moses, and he says to YHWH, “Do not turn to their present; I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I afflicted 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 says to Korah, “You and all your congregation, be [present] before YHWH—you, and they, and Aaron—tomorrow;
And he said to Korah: “You and your congregation, stand alone before the Lord, and apart from Aaron, tomorrow.
17 and let each take his censer and you have put incense on them, and each has brought his censer near before YHWH—two hundred and fifty censers; indeed, you and Aaron, each [with] 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 each take his censer, and put fire on them, and lay incense on them, and they stand at the opening of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.
When they had done this, Moses and Aaron stood up,
19 And Korah assembles all the congregation against them at the opening of the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of YHWH is seen by 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 speaks to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
And the Lord, speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:
21 “Be separated from the midst of this congregation, and I consume them in a moment”;
“Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation, so that I may suddenly destroy them.”
22 and they fall on their faces, and say, “God, God of the spirits of all flesh—one man sins, and are You angry against 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 speaks to Moses, saying,
And the Lord said to Moses:
24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, Go up from around the dwelling place of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
“Instruct the entire people to separate from the tents of Korah, and Dathan, and Abiram.”
25 And Moses rises, and goes to Dathan and Abiram, and [the] elderly of Israel go after him,
And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram. And the elders of Israel followed him,
26 and he speaks to the congregation, saying, “Now turn aside from the tents of these wicked men, and do not come against anything that they have, lest you are 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 And they go up from the dwelling place of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, from all around, and Dathan and Abiram have come out, standing at the opening of their tents, with their wives, and their sons, and their infants.
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 says, “By this you know that YHWH has sent me to do all these works, that [they are] not from my own heart;
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 die according to the death of all men, or the charge of all men is charged on them, YHWH has 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 does a strange thing, and the ground has opened her mouth and swallowed them and all that they have, and they have gone down alive to Sheol, then you have known that these men have despised 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 comes to pass at his finishing speaking all these words, that the ground which [is] under them cleaves,
Therefore, as soon as he had ceased to speak, the earth broke open under their feet.
32 and the earth opens her mouth and swallows them, and their houses, and all the men who [are] for Korah, and all the goods,
And opening its mouth, it devoured them with their tabernacles and their entire substance.
33 and they go down—they and all that they have—alive to Sheol, and the earth closes over them, and they perish from the midst of the assembly; (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 who [are] around them have fled at their voice, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us”;
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 fire has come out from YHWH and consumes the two hundred and fifty men bringing the incense near.
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 speaks to Moses, saying,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
37 “Say to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to lift up the censers from the midst of the burning and scatter the fire away, for they have been 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 [As for] the censers of these sinners against their own souls, indeed, they have made them [into] spread-out plates [for] a covering for the altar, for they have brought them near before YHWH, and they are hallowed; and they become a sign to the sons 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 takes the bronze censers which they who are burned had brought near, and they spread them out [for] a covering for 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 a memorial to the sons of Israel, so that a stranger who is not of the seed of Aaron does not draw near to make incense before YHWH, and is not as Korah and as his congregation, as YHWH has spoken by the hand of Moses to him.
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 And on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel murmurs against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have put the people of YHWH to death.”
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 comes to pass, in the congregation being assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they turn toward the Tent of Meeting, and behold, the cloud has covered it and the glory of YHWH is seen;
And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased,
43 and Moses comes—Aaron also—to the front of the Tent of Meeting.
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 speaks to Moses, saying,
And the Lord said to Moses:
45 “Get up from the midst of this congregation, and I consume them in a moment”; and they fall on 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 says to Aaron, “Take the censer and put fire on it from off the altar, and place incense, and go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for the wrath has gone out from the presence of YHWH—the plague has 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 takes [it] as Moses has spoken, and runs to the midst of the assembly, and behold, the plague has begun among the people; and he gives the incense, and makes 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 stands between the dead and the living, and the plague is restrained;
And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the scourge ceased.
49 and those who die by the plague are fourteen thousand and seven hundred, apart from those who die for 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 turns back to Moses, to the opening of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague has been restrained.
And Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, after the destruction quieted.
