Numbers 16
1 Lo! forsothe Chore, the sone of Isuar, sone of Caath, sone of Leuy, and Dathan and Abiron, the sones of Heliab, and Hon, the sone of Pheleph, of the sones of Ruben, rysen ayens Moises,
One day Korah, who was the son of Izhar and a descendant of Levi’s son Kohath, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, who were the sons of Eliab, and On, who was the son of Peleth. Those three men were from the tribe of Reuben.
2 and othere of the sones of Israel, two hundryd men and fifti, prynces of the synagoge, and whiche weren clepid bi names in the tyme of counsel.
Korah and those other three men incited 250 other people who were leaders among the Israeli people to join them in rebelling against Moses/me.
3 And whanne `thei hadden stonde ayens Moises and Aaron, thei seiden, Suffice it to you, for al the multitude is of hooly men, and the Lord is in hem; whi ben ye reisid on the puple of the Lord?
They came together to criticize Aaron and Moses/me. They said to them/us, “You two are using more [authority] than you should! Yahweh has set apart all of us Israeli people, and he is with/helping all of us. So why do you act as though you are more important than the rest of us people who belong to Yahweh [RHQ]?”
4 And whanne Moises hadde herd this, he felde lowe on the face.
When Moses/I heard what they were saying, he/I prostrated himself/myself on the ground.
5 And he spak to Chore, and to al the multitude; he seide, Eerli the Lord schal make knowun whiche perteynen to hym, and he schal applie to hym hooli men; and thei whiche he hath chose, schulen neiye to hym.
Then he/I said to Korah and those [Israeli leaders] who were with Korah, “Tomorrow morning Yahweh will show us whom he has chosen to be his [priest], and who is holy and allowed to come near to him. Yahweh will permit [only] those whom he chooses to come into his presence.
6 Therfor do ye this thing; ech man take his cencere, thou Chore, and al thi counsel;
So Korah, tomorrow you and those who are with you must prepare your pans to burn incense.
7 and to morewe whanne fier is takun vp, putte ye encense aboue bifor the Lord, and whom euer the Lord chesith, he schal be hooli. Ye sones of Leuy ben myche reisid.
Then you must light a fire in them and burn the incense in the presence of Yahweh. Then we will see which one of us Yahweh has chosen to be his holy servant. It is you men who are descendants of Levi who are trying to use more [authority] than you should!”
8 And eft Moises seide to Chore, Ye sones of Leuy, here.
Then Moses/I spoke again to Korah. He/I said, “You men who are descendants of Levi, listen to me!
9 Whether it is litil to you, that God of Israel departide you fro al the puple, and ioynede you to hym silf, that ye schulden serue hym in the seruyce of tabernacle, and that ye schulden stonde bifor the multitude of puple, and schulden serue hym?
The God of us Israelis has chosen all of you to be close to him in order that you can work for him at his Sacred Tent and serve the people. (Is that unimportant/Does that mean nothing) to you [RHQ]?
10 Made he therfor thee and alle thi bretheren the sones of Leuy to neiy to hym silf, that ye chalenge to you also preesthod,
Yahweh has brought you, [Korah], and your fellow descendants of Levi, near to himself. Now are you demanding to become priests also?
11 and al thi gaderyng togidere stonde ayens the Lord? For whi what is Aaron, that ye grutchen ayens hym?
It is really Yahweh against whom you and your fellow descendants of Levi are rebelling. Aaron is not the one about whom you are really complaining [RHQ].”
12 Therfor Moises sente to clepe Dathan and Abiron, the sones of Heliab; whiche answeriden, We comen not.
Then Moses/I summoned Dathan and Abiram, but [they refused to come]. They [sent a message] saying, “We will not come to you!
13 Whethir is it litil to thee, that thou leddist vs out of the lond that flowide with mylk and hony, to sle vs in the deseert, no but also thou be lord of vs?
You brought us out of Egypt, which was a very fertile [IDM] land, in order to cause us to die here in this desert. That was bad. But now you are also trying to boss us [RHQ], and that is worse.
14 Verili thou hast bronyt vs in to the lond that flowith with streemys of mylk and hony, and hast youe to vs possessioun of feeldis, and of vyneris; whethir also thou wolt putte out oure iyen?
You have not given us a new land to live in, a land that has good fields and vineyards. You are only trying to [RHQ] trick these people. So we will not come to you.”
15 We comen not. And Moises was wrooth greetli, and seide to the Lord, Biholde thou not the sacrifices of hem; thou wost that Y took neuere of hem, yhe, a litil asse, nethir Y turmentide ony of hem.
Then Moses/I became very angry. He/I said to Yahweh, “Do not accept the grain offerings that they have brought. I have not taken anything from them, not even one donkey, and I have never done anything wrong to them, [so they have no reason to complain about me].”
16 And Moises seide to Chore, Thou and al thi congregacioun stonde asidis half bifor the Lord, and Aaron to morewe bi hym silf.
Then Moses/I said to Korah, “You and all those who are with you must come here tomorrow and stand in front of Yahweh. Aaron will also be here.
17 Take ye alle bi you silf youre censeris, and putte ye encense in tho, and offre ye to the Lord, tweyn hundrid and fifti censeris; and Aaron holde his censer.
You and all the 250 men who are with you must each take a pan in which to burn incense, and put incense in it, to [burn it to be] an offering to Yahweh. Aaron will do the same thing.”
18 And whanne thei hadden do this, while Moises and Aaron stoden,
So [the next day] each of those men got a pan to burn incense. They put in it incense and hot coals to light it, and then they all stood at the entrance of the Sacred Tent with Aaron and Moses/me.
19 and thei hadden gaderid al the multitude to the `dore of the tabernacle ayens hem, the glorie of the Lord apperide to alle.
Then Korah summoned all the people who supported him and who were against Moses/me, and they also gathered at the entrance of the tent. Then the glory of Yahweh appeared to all of them/us,
20 And the Lord spak to Moises and Aaron,
and Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me,
21 and seide, Be ye departid fro the myddis of this congregacioun, that Y leese hem sodeynli.
“Get away from all these people, in order that I can get rid of them immediately!”
22 Whiche felden lowe on the face, and seiden, Strongeste God of the spiritis of al fleisch, whethir `thin yre schal be fers ayens alle men, for o man synneth?
But Aaron and Moses/I prostrated themselves/ourselves on the ground. We pleaded with Yahweh, saying, “God, you are the one who caused all these people to live [MTY]. Only one of these men has sinned; so, (is it right for you to be angry with all the people?/it is not right for you to be angry with all the people!) [RHQ]”
23 And the Lord seide to Moises,
Yahweh said to Moses/me,
24 Comaunde thou to al the puple, that it be departid fro the tabernaclis of Chore, and of Dathan, and of Abiron.
“[Okay], but tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
25 And Moises roos, and yede to Dathan and Abiron; and while the eldre men of Israel sueden hym,
So Moses/I stood up and went to the tents of Dathan and Abiram. The Israeli leaders followed him/me.
26 he seide to the cumpeny, Go ye awey fro the tabernaclis of wickid men, and nyle ye touche tho thingis that parteynen to hem, lest ye ben wlappid in the synnes of hem.
He/I told the people, “Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that belongs to them! If you touch anything, you will die because of their sins!”
27 And whanne thei hadden gon awei fro the tentis `of hem bi the cumpas, Dathan and Abiron yeden out, and stoden in the entryng of her tentis, with wyues, and fre children, and al the multitude.
So all the people moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out of their tents with their wives and children and babies, and stood at the entrances of their tents.
28 And Moises seide, In this ye schulen wite that the Lord sente me, that Y schulde do alle thingis whiche ye seen, and Y brouyte not forth tho of myn owne herte.
Then Moses/I said, “I was not the one who decided to do all these things that I have done. It was Yahweh who [chose me and] sent me to do them. And now he will prove that to you.
29 If thei perischen bi customable deeth of men, and wounde visite hem, bi which also othere men ben wont to be visitid,
If these men die in a normal way, then it will be clear that Yahweh did not choose me.
30 the Lord sente not me; but if the Lord doith a newe thing, that the erthe opene his mouth, and swolewe hem, and alle thingis that perteynen to hem, and thei goen doun quyke in to helle, ye schulen wite that thei blasfemeden the Lord. (Sheol h7585)
But if Yahweh does something that has never happened before, if he causes the ground [that is under their feet] to open up and swallow these men [and their families] and all their possessions, and they fall into the opening and are buried while they are still alive, then you will know that these men have insulted Yahweh.” (Sheol h7585)
31 Therfor anoon as he cesside to speke, the erthe was brokun vndur her feet,
As soon as Moses/I said this, the ground split open beneath those men.
32 and the erthe openyde his mouth, and deuowride hem, with her tabernaclis, and al the catel `of hem;
It swallowed them and their families and all those who were standing there with Korah and all of their possessions.
33 and thei yeden doun quike in to helle, and weren hilid with erthe, and perischiden fro the myddis of the multitude. (Sheol h7585)
They fell into the opening in the ground while they were still alive, and all their possessions fell into the opening also. They disappeared, and the ground closed back up again. (Sheol h7585)
34 And sotheli al Israel that stood bi the cumpas, fledde fro the cry of men perischinge, and seide, Lest perauenture the erthe swolewe also vs.
They screamed as they fell, and all the people who were standing nearby heard them scream. The people [were terrified and] cried out as they ran away, saying, “[We do not want] the ground to swallow us also!”
35 But also fier yede out fro the Lord, and killide tweyn hundrid and fifti men that offriden encense.
And then a fire from Yahweh came down [from the sky] and burned up the 250 men who were burning the incense!
36 And the Lord spak to Moises, and seide,
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,
37 Comaunde thou to Eleasar, sone of Aaron, preest, that he take the censeris that liggen in the brennyng, and that he schatere the fier hidur and thidur; for tho ben halewid in the dethis of synneris;
“Tell Aaron’s son Eleazar to take the pans that had incense in them away from the fire and to scatter the burning coals. The pans that those men [were carrying] are (holy/dedicated to me) [because they burned incense to me in them].
38 and that he bringe forth tho in to platis, and naile to the auter, for encense is offrid in tho to the Lord, and tho ben halewid, that the sonis of Israel se tho for a signe and memorial.
Those men have now died because of their sin; so [Eleazar must] take their pans and hammer the metal to make it become very thin. He must make a covering for the altar with that metal. Those pans were used to offer incense to me, so they are (holy/dedicated to me). [What happened to] those pans will now warn the Israeli people.”
39 Therfor Eleazar, preest, took the brasun senseris, in whiche censeris thei whiche the brennyng deuouride hadden offrid, and he `brouyt forth tho in to platis, and nailide to the auter;
So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 pans for burning incense that had been used by the men who died in the fire. He hammered the pans very thin to make a covering for the altar, as Yahweh told Moses/me should be done.
40 that the sones of Israel schulden haue thingis aftirward, bi whiche thei schulden remembre, lest ony alien, and which is not of the seed of Aaron, neiy to offre encense to the Lord, lest he suffre, as Chore sufferide, and al his multitude, while the Lord spak to Moises.
That warned the Israeli people that only those who were descendants of Aaron were permitted to burn incense for an offering to Yahweh. If anyone else did that, the same thing that happened to Korah and those who were with him would happen to them.
41 Forsothe al the multitude of the sones of Israel grutchide in the dai suynge ayens Moises and Aaron, and seide, Ye han slayn the puple of the Lord.
But the following morning, all the Israeli people started to complain against Aaron and Moses/me, saying “You have killed many people who belonged to Yahweh!”
42 And whanne discensioun roos,
When all the people gathered together to protest about what Aaron and Moses/I had done, they looked at the Sacred Tent and saw that the sacred cloud had covered it, and the glory of Yahweh had appeared.
43 and noise encresside, Moises and Aaron fledden to the tabernacle of the boond of pees; and aftir that thei entriden in to it, a cloude hilide the tabernacle, and the glorie of the Lord apperide.
Aaron and Moses/I went and stood in front of the Sacred Tent.
44 And the Lord seide to Moises and to Aaron,
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,
45 Go ye awey fro the myddis of this multitude, also now Y schal do awey hem. And whanne thei laien in the erthe, Moises seide to Aaron,
“Get away from these people, in order that I can get rid of them immediately [without injuring you two]!” But Aaron and Moses/I prostrated themselves/ourselves on the ground [and prayed].
46 Take the censer, and whanne fyer is takun vp of the auter, caste encense aboue, and go soone to the puple, that thou preye for hem; for now ire is gon out fro the Lord, and the wounde is feers.
Moses/I said to Aaron, “Quickly take another pan and put in it some burning/hot coals from the altar. Put incense in the pan, and carry it out among the people to atone for the sins of the people. Yahweh is very angry with them, and [I know that] a (severe plague/bad sickness) has already started among them.”
47 And whanne Aaron hadde do this, and hadde runne to the myddis of the multitude, which the brennynge wastid thanne, he offeride encense;
So Aaron did what Moses/I told him. He took the burning incense out among the people. The plague had already started to strike the people, but Aaron continued to burn the incense so that God would forgive them for the sins they had committed.
48 and he stood bytwixe the deed men and lyuynge, and bisouyte for the puple, and the wounde ceesside.
He stood between the people who had already died and those who were still alive, and then the plague stopped.
49 Sotheli thei that weren smytun weren fourtene thousynde of men and seuene hundrid, with outen hem that perischiden in the discencioun of Chore.
But 14,700 people had already died from that plague/sickness, in addition to the people who died with Korah.
50 And Aaron turnyde ayen to Moyses, to the dore of the tabernacle of boond of pees, aftir that the perischyng restide.
Then after the plague had ended, Aaron and Moses/I returned to the entrance of the Sacred Tent.
