Numbers 16

1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:2 and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown;3 and they assembled 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 Jehovah is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of Jehovah?

4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:5 and he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, In the morning Jehovah will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near unto him.6 This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company;7 and put fire in them, and put incense upon them before Jehovah to-morrow: and it shall be that the man whom Jehovah doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear now, ye 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 Jehovah, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them;10 and that he hath brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee? and seek ye the priesthood also?11 Therefore thou and all thy company are gathered together against Jehovah: and Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?

12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, We will not come up:13 is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must needs make thyself also a prince over us?14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

15 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto Jehovah, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.16 And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before Jehovah, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow:17 and take ye every man his censer, and put incense upon them, and bring ye before Jehovah every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each his censer.18 And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.19 And Korah assembled all the congregation against them unto the door of the tent of meeting: and the glory of Jehovah appeared unto all the congregation.

20 And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.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?23 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,24 Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

25 And Moses rose up and went unto 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.27 So they gat them up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that Jehovah hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then Jehovah hath not sent me.30 But if Jehovah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then ye shall understand that these men have despised Jehovah.

31 And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them;32 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.33 So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly.34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up.35 And fire came forth from Jehovah, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

36 And Jehovah spake unto 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 holy,38 even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Jehovah; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.39 And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, which they that were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,40 to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, that is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before Jehovah; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Jehovah spake unto him by 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 Jehovah.42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Jehovah appeared.43 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.44 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take they censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly unto the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Jehovah; the plague is begun.47 And Aaron took as Moses spake, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.49 Now they that died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides them that died about the matter of Korah.50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tent of meeting: and the plague was stayed.

Numbers 16

The Rebellion of Korah

1 s Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, who were Reubenites,s took ment2 and rebelled against Moses, along with some of the Israelites, 250 leaderst of the community, chosen from the assembly,t famous men.t

3 And they assembled against Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “You take too much upon yourselves,t seeing that the whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the community of the Lord?”
4 When Moses heard it he fell down with his face to the ground.t5 Then he said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning the Lord will make known who are his, and who is holy. He will cause that persont to approach him; the person he has chosen he will cause to approach him.6 Do this, Korah, you and all your company:t Take censers,7 put fire in them, and set incense on them before the Lord tomorrow, and the man whom the Lord chooses will be holy. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!”8 Moses said to Korah, “Listen now, you sons of Levi!9 Does it seem too small a thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel to bring you near to himself, to perform the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the community to minister to them?10 He has brought you near and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you. Do you now seekts the priesthood also?11 Therefore you and all your company have assembled together against the Lord! And Aaron – what is he that you murmur against him?”s12 Then Moses summonedt Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up.t13 Is it a small thingt that you have brought us up out of the land that flows with milk and honey,t to kill us in the wilderness? Now do you want to make yourself a princet over us?

14 Moreover,t you have not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you think you can blindt these men? We will not come up.”

15 Moses was very angry, and he said to the Lord, “Have no respectt for their offering! I have not taken so much as one donkey from them, nor have I harmed any one of them!”
16 Then Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company present yourselves before the Lord – you and they, and Aaron – tomorrow.17 And each of yout take his censer, putt incense in it, and then each of you present his censer before the Lord: 250 censers, along with you, and Aaron – each of you with his censer.”18 So everyone took his censer, put fire in it, and set incense on it, and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron.

19 Whent Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting, then the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community.

The Judgment on the Rebels

20 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:21 “Separate yourselvest from among this community,s that I may consume them in an instant.”

22 Then they threw themselves down with their faces to the grounds and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all people,t will you be angry with the whole community when only one man sins?”t
23 So the Lord spoke to Moses:24 “Tell the community: ‘Get awayt from around the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’”25 Then Moses got upt and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel went after him.26 And he said to the community, “Move away from the tents of these wickedt men, and do not touch anything they have, lest you be destroyed becauset of all their sins.”s27 So they got away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out and stationed themselvest in the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their toddlers.28 Then Moses said, “This is howt you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.t29 If these men die a natural death,t or if they share the fatet of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.

30 But if the Lord does something entirely new,t and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them upt along with all that they have, and theyt go down alive to the grave,t then you will know that these men have despised the Lord!”
31 When he had finishedt speakingt all these words, the ground that was under them split open,32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households, and all Korah’s men, and all their goods.33 They and all that they had went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed over them. So they perished from among the community.34 All the Israelitest who were around them fled at their cry,t for they said, “What ift the earth swallows us too?”

35 Then a firet went out from the Lord and devoured the 250 men who offered incense.

The Atonement for the Rebellion

36 s The Lord spoke to Moses:37 “Tellt Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pick upt the censers out of the flame, for they are holy, and then scatter the coals of firet at a distance.38 As for the censers of these men who sinned at the cost of their lives,t they must be madet into hammered sheets for covering the altar, because they presented them before the Lord and sanctified them. They will become a sign to the Israelites.”39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers presented by those who had been burned up, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar.40 It was a memorial for the Israelites, that no outsider who is not a descendant oft Aaron should approach to burn incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his company – just as the Lord had spoken by the authorityt of Moses.41 But on the next day the whole community of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord’s people!”s42 When the community assembledt against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting – andt the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

43 Then Moses and Aaron stood before the tent of meeting.
44 The Lord spoke to Moses:45 “Get away from this community, so that I can consume them in an instant!” But they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.t46 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take the censer, put burning coals from the altar in it, place incense on it, and go quickly into the assembly and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the Lord – the plague has begun!”47 So Aaron didt as Moses commandedt and ran into the middle of the assembly, where the plague was just beginning among the people. So he placed incense on the coals and made atonement for the people.48 He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.49 Now 14,700 people died in the plague, in addition to those who died in the event with Korah.

50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and the plague was stopped.