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,
Now Korah son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, descendants of Reuben, gathered some men.
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.
They rose up against Moses, along with other men from the people of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the community who were well-known members in the community.
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 assembled themselves together to confront Moses and Aaron. They said to them, “You have gone too far! All the community is set apart, every one of them, and Yahweh is among them. Why do you lift up yourselves above the rest of Yahweh's community?”
4 And whanne Moises hadde herd this, he felde lowe on the face.
When Moses heard that, he lay facedown.
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.
He spoke to Korah and to all those with him, “In the morning Yahweh will make known who belongs to him and who is set apart to him. He will bring that person near to him. The one he chooses he will bring near to himself.
6 Therfor do ye this thing; ech man take his cencere, thou Chore, and al thi counsel;
Do this, Korah and all your group. Take censers
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.
tomorrow and put fire and incense in them before Yahweh. The one whom Yahweh chooses, that man will be set apart to Yahweh. You have gone too far, you descendants of Levi.”
8 And eft Moises seide to Chore, Ye sones of Leuy, here.
Again, Moses said to Korah, “Now listen, you descendants of Levi:
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?
is it a small thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do work in Yahweh's tabernacle, and to stand before the community to serve them?
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,
He has brought you near, and all your kinfolk, the descendants of Levi, with you, yet you are seeking the priesthood also!
11 and al thi gaderyng togidere stonde ayens the Lord? For whi what is Aaron, that ye grutchen ayens hym?
That is why you and all your group have gathered together against Yahweh. So why are you complaining about Aaron, who obeys Yahweh?”
12 Therfor Moises sente to clepe Dathan and Abiron, the sones of Heliab; whiche answeriden, We comen not.
Then Moses called for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up.
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?
Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness? Now you want to make yourself ruler over us!
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?
In addition, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, or given us the fields and vineyards as an inheritance. Now do you want to blind us with empty promises? 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.
Moses was very angry and said to Yahweh, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed any of them.”
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 said to Korah, “Tomorrow you and all your company must go before Yahweh—you and they, and Aaron.
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.
Each of you must take his censer and put incense in it. Then each man must bring before Yahweh his censer, two hundred and fifty censers. You and Aaron, also, must each bring your censer.”
18 And whanne thei hadden do this, while Moises and Aaron stoden,
So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense in it, and stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19 and thei hadden gaderid al the multitude to the `dore of the tabernacle ayens hem, the glorie of the Lord apperide to alle.
Korah assembled all the community against Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting, and Yahweh's glory appeared to all the community.
20 And the Lord spak to Moises and Aaron,
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron:
21 and seide, Be ye departid fro the myddis of this congregacioun, that Y leese hem sodeynli.
“Separate yourselves from among this community that I may consume 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?
Moses and Aaron lay facedown and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all humanity, if one man sins, must you be angry with all the community?”
23 And the Lord seide to Moises,
Yahweh replied to Moses. He said,
24 Comaunde thou to al the puple, that it be departid fro the tabernaclis of Chore, and of Dathan, and of Abiron.
“Speak to the community. Say, '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,
Then Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; the elders of Israel followed him.
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 spoke to the community and said, “Now leave the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs, or you will be consumed by all 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 the community on every side of the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram left them. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance to their tents, with their wives, sons, and their little ones.
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 said, “By this you will know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own accord.
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 a natural death such as normally happens, then Yahweh has not sent 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 creates something new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that they possess, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you must understand that these men have despised Yahweh.” (Sheol h7585)
31 Therfor anoon as he cesside to speke, the erthe was brokun vndur her feet,
As soon as Moses finished speaking all these words, the ground opened under those men.
32 and the erthe openyde his mouth, and deuowride hem, with her tabernaclis, and al the catel `of hem;
The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their families, and all the people who belonged to Korah, as well as all 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)
So they and all that they possessed went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed over them, and they perished from among the community. (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.
All Israel around them fled from their cries. They exclaimed, “The earth may swallow us up also!”
35 But also fier yede out fro the Lord, and killide tweyn hundrid and fifti men that offriden encense.
Then fire flashed out from Yahweh and devoured the 250 men who had offered incense.
36 And the Lord spak to Moises, and seide,
Again Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,
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;
“Speak to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest and let him take up the censers out of the flames, for the censers are set apart to me. Then let him scatter the burning coals at a distance.
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.
Take the censers of those who lost their lives because of their sin. Let them be made into hammered plates as a covering over the altar. Those men did offer them before me, so they are set apart to me. They will be a sign of my presence to the people of Israel.”
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;
Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that had been used by the men who were burned up, and they were hammered out into a covering for the altar,
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.
to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider who was not descended from Aaron should come up to burn incense before Yahweh, so they might not become like Korah and his group—just as Yahweh had commanded through Moses.
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 next morning all the community of the people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron. They said, “You have killed Yahweh's people.”
42 And whanne discensioun roos,
Then it happened, when the community had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting and, behold, the cloud was covering it. Yahweh's glory 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.
and Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.
44 And the Lord seide to Moises and to Aaron,
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,
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,
“Go away from in front of this community so that I may consume them immediately.” Then Moses and Aaron lay down with their faces to the ground.
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 said to Aaron, “Take the censer, put fire in it from off the altar, put incense in it, carry it quickly to the community, and make atonement for them, because anger is coming from Yahweh. The plague has begun.”
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 as Moses directed. He ran into the middle of the community. The plague had quickly started to spread among the people, so he put in the incense and made atonement for the people.
48 and he stood bytwixe the deed men and lyuynge, and bisouyte for the puple, and the wounde ceesside.
Aaron stood between the dead and the living; in this way the plague was 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.
Those who died by the plague were 14,700 in number, besides those who had died in the matter of Korah.
50 And Aaron turnyde ayen to Moyses, to the dore of the tabernacle of boond of pees, aftir that the perischyng restide.
Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, and the plague ended.
