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 some men.
2 They
rose up before
Moses, with some
of the children
of Israel, two
hundred fifty
princes of the
congregation, called
to the assembly,
men of renown.
3 They
assembled themselves
together against
Moses and
against Aaron, and said
to them, “You
take too much
on yourself, since
all the
congregation are
holy, everyone of
them, and the
LORD is among
them! Why do
you lift
yourselves up
above the LORD’s
assembly?”
4 When
Moses heard it,
he fell on
his face.
5 He
said to Korah
and to all
his company, “In
the morning, the
LORD will show
who are his,
and who is
holy, and
will cause him to
come near to
him. Even him whom
he shall choose,
he will cause to
come near to
him.
6 Do
this: have Korah
and all his
company take
censers,
7 put fire
in them, and
put incense on
them before the
LORD tomorrow. It
shall be that
the man whom
the LORD chooses,
he shall be
holy. You have
gone too far,
you sons of
Levi!”
8 Moses
said to Korah, “Hear
now, you sons
of Levi!
9 Is
it a small
thing 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 LORD’s
tabernacle, and to
stand before the
congregation to
minister to them;
10 and
that he has
brought you near,
and all your
brothers the sons
of Levi with
you? Do you
seek the
priesthood also?
11 Therefore
you and all
your company have
gathered together
against the LORD!
What is Aaron that
you complain against
him?”
12 Moses
sent to call
Dathan and Abiram,
the sons of Eliab;
and they said, “We
won’t come up!
13 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, but
you must also
make yourself a
prince over us?
14 Moreover
you haven’t brought
us into a
land flowing with
milk and honey,
nor given us
inheritance of
fields and
vineyards. Will
you put out
the eyes of
these men? We won’t
come up.”
15 Moses
was very angry,
and said to the
LORD, “Don’t respect
their offering. I
have not taken
one donkey from
them, neither have
I hurt one
of them.”
16 Moses said
to Korah, “You
and all your
company go before
the LORD, you,
and they,
and Aaron, tomorrow.
17 Each
man take his
censer and put
incense on it,
and each man
bring before the
LORD his censer,
two hundred fifty
censers; you also,
and Aaron, each
with his censer.”
18 They
each took his
censer, and
put fire in it,
and laid incense
on it, and
stood at the
door of the Tent
of Meeting with
Moses and Aaron.
19 Korah
assembled all the
congregation opposite
them to the
door of the Tent
of Meeting.
The LORD’s glory
appeared to all
the congregation.
20 The
LORD spoke to
Moses and to Aaron,
saying,
21 “Separate
yourselves from
among this
congregation, that
I may consume them
in a moment!”
22 They
fell on their
faces, and said, “God,
the God of the
spirits of all
flesh, shall one
man sin, and
will you be
angry with all
the congregation?”
23 The
LORD spoke to
Moses, saying,
24 “Speak
to the
congregation, saying, ‘Get
away from around
the tent of Korah,
Dathan, and Abiram!’ ”
25 Moses
rose up and
went to Dathan
and Abiram; and
the elders of
Israel followed
him.
26 He
spoke to the
congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from
the tents of these
wicked men, and
touch nothing of
theirs, lest you
be consumed in
all their sins!”
27 So
they went away
from the tent of
Korah, Dathan,
and Abiram, on
every side. Dathan
and Abiram came
out, and stood
at the door
of their tents
with their wives,
their sons, and
their little ones.
28 Moses said,
“Hereby you shall
know that the
LORD has sent
me to do
all these works;
for they are
not from my own
mind.
29 If these
men die the common
death of all
men, or if
they experience what
all men experience,
then the
LORD hasn’t sent
me.
30 But
if the LORD
makes a new
thing, and
the ground opens
its mouth, and
swallows them up
with all
that belong to
them, and they
go down alive
into Sheol,
then you shall
understand that
these men have
despised the LORD.”
31 As
he finished
speaking all these
words, the ground
that was under
them split apart.
32 The earth
opened its mouth
and swallowed them
up with their
households, all of
Korah’s men, and
all their goods.
33 So
they, and all
that belonged to
them went down
alive into
Sheol.
The earth closed
on them, and
they perished from
among the assembly.
34 All
Israel that were
around them fled
at their cry;
for they said, “Lest
the earth swallow
us up!”
35 Fire came
out from the
LORD, and devoured
the two hundred
fifty men who
offered the
incense.
36 The
LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
37 “Speak to Eleazar the son of
Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and
scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy,
38 even the censers of those who
sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for
a covering of the altar, for they offered them before
the LORD. Therefore they are holy. They shall be
a sign to the children of Israel.”
39 Eleazar the priest took the
bronze censers which those who were burned had offered; and they beat
them out for a covering of the altar,
40 to be
a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that
no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to
burn incense before the LORD, that he not be as Korah
and as his company; as the LORD spoke to him by
Moses.
41 But on the next day all the
congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and
against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s
people!”
42 When the congregation was
assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tent
of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and the
LORD’s glory appeared.
43 Moses and Aaron came to the
front of the Tent of Meeting.
44 The
LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45 “Get away from among this
congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”
They fell on their faces.
46 Moses said to Aaron, “Take
your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry
it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath
has gone out from the LORD! The plague has begun.”
47 Aaron did as Moses said, and
ran into the middle of the assembly. The plague had already begun
among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the
people.
48 He stood between the dead and
the living; and the plague was stayed.
49 Now those who died by the
plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who
died about the matter of Korah.
50 Aaron returned to Moses to
the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.