Numbers 16

1 Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted

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 a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly.

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 came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”

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 Yahweh is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above Yahweh’s assembly?”

4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.

4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.

5 Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one He chooses He will bring near to Himself.

5 He said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning, Yahweh 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 You, Korah, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers,

6 Do this: have Korah and all his company take censers,

7 and tomorrow you are to place fire and incense in them in the presence of the LORD. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. It is you sons of Levi who have taken too much upon yourselves!”

7 put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom Yahweh chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!”

8 Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you sons of Levi!

8 Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi!

9 Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel and brought you near to Himself to perform the work at the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them?

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 Yahweh’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

10 He has brought you near, you and all your fellow Levites, but you are seeking the priesthood as well.

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, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD! As for Aaron, who is he that you should grumble against him?”

11 Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against Yahweh! What is Aaron that you complain against him?”

12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come!

12 Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up!

13 Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Must you also appoint yourself as ruler over us?

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 have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!”

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 Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.”

15 Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

16 And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow—you and they and Aaron.

16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before Yahweh, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.

17 Each man is to take his censer, place incense in it, and present it before the LORD—250 censers. You and Aaron are to present your censers as well.”

17 Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before Yahweh his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer.”

18 So each man took his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

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 When Korah had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation.

19 Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the congregation.

20 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

20 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

21 “Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.”

21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”

22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?”

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 Then the LORD said to Moses,

23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

24 “Tell the congregation to move away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”

25 So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

25 Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

26 And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”

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 moved away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Meanwhile, Dathan and Abiram had come out and stood at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children and infants.

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 Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing:

28 Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind.

29 If these men die a natural death, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me.

29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then Yahweh hasn’t sent me.

30 But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.”

30 But if Yahweh 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 Yahweh.”

31 As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open,

31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart.

32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions.

32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods.

33 They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly.

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 At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!”

34 All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”

35 And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

35 Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

36 Then the LORD said to Moses,

36 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

37 “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy.

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 As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.”

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 Yahweh. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,

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 just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his followers.

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 Yahweh, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses.

41 The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”

41 But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed Yahweh’s people!”

42 But when the congregation gathered against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the Tent of Meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.

42 When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and Yahweh’s glory appeared.

43 Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting,

43 Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.

44 and the LORD said to Moses,

44 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

45 “Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.

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, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.”

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 Yahweh! The plague has begun.”

47 So Aaron took the censer as Moses had ordered and ran into the midst of the assembly. And seeing that the plague had begun among the people, he offered the incense and made atonement for the people.

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 living and the dead, and the plague was halted.

48 He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49 But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who had died on account of Korah.

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 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, since the plague had been halted.

50 Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.