Numbers 16

1Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On, son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took.

2And two hundred fifty men from the children of Israel, rulers of the congregation, renowned in the assembly, men of fame, arose before Moses.

3They gathered against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, "Enough for you, for the whole congregation is holy—all of them—and Yahweh is among them; why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh?"

4Moses heard and fell on his face.

5He spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, "In the morning Yahweh will reveal who belongs to him and who is holy, and will bring him near to him—the one he chooses he will bring near to him."

6Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all his assembly.

7Put fire in them and incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow; the man whom Yahweh chooses—he will be the holy one. Enough for you, sons of Levi!

8Moses said to Korah, "Listen now, sons of Levi!"

9Is it too little for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself, to perform the service of the tabernacle of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to serve them?

10He brought you near—you and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you—and do you seek the priesthood also?

11Therefore you and all your congregation who are gathered against Yahweh and Aaron—what is he that you grumble against him?

12Moses sent to summon Dathan and Abiram, Eliab's sons, and they said, "We will not come up."

13Is it too little that you have taken us up out of a land gushing milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, that you lord it over us—indeed setting yourself altogether as ruler over us?

14Moreover, you have not brought us to a land gushing with milk and honey, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.

15Moses grew very angry and said to Yahweh, "Do not turn to their offering; I have not taken one donkey from them, nor hurt one of them."

16Moses said to Korah, "You and your whole assembly present yourselves before Yahweh tomorrow—you, they, and Aaron."

17Each take his censer and put incense on them, and bring them before Yahweh—each his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, Aaron, each his censer.

18Each man took his censer, put fire in them, laid incense on them, and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.

19Korah gathered the whole congregation against them to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the congregation.

20Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

21Separate yourselves from the midst of this assembly, that I may consume them in an instant.

22They fell on their faces and said, "God, God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with the whole congregation?"

23Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

24Speak to the assembly, saying, 'Depart from around the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.'

25Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel went after him.

26He spoke to the congregation, saying, "Turn away now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch none of their possessions, lest you be swept away in all their sins."

27They arose from over the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out, standing at the entrance of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

28Moses said, "By this you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works, for they do not come from my heart."

29If these die the death of all ordinary men or if the visitation of all ordinary men comes upon them, then Yahweh has not sent me.

30But if Yahweh creates a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them with everything belonging to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have despised Yahweh.

32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with their houses, all the people who belonged to Korah, and all their possessions.

33They and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, the earth covered them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

34All Israel who were around them fled at the sound of their voice, because they said, “Lest the earth swallow us!”

35Fire went out from Yahweh and consumed the fifty and two hundred men offering incense.

36Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

37Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to lift the censers from the midst of the burning, and scatter the fire far away; for they are holy.

38Beat the censers of these sinners against their own lives into hammered plates for overlaying the altar, because they presented them before Yahweh and so became holy; they shall be a sign to the sons of Israel.

39Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that those who were burned had offered, and they beat them into a covering for the altar.

40A memorial to Israel's children, that no outsider not descended from Aaron draw near to burn incense before Yahweh, lest he become like Korah and his company, as Yahweh spoke to him through Moses.

41But the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You killed Yahweh's people!"

42When the congregation assembled against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting, and there the cloud covered it, and Yahweh's glory appeared.

43Moses and Aaron came before the tent of meeting.

44And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

45Rise from the midst of this assembly, that I may consume them in a moment. They fell on their faces.

46Moses said to Aaron, "Take the censer, put fire on it from the altar, lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the assembly to make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from before Yahweh; the plague has begun."

47Aaron took it as Moses had spoken and ran into the midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague had begun among the people; and he offered the incense and made atonement for the people.

48He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was restrained.

49Those who died in the plague numbered fourteen thousand seven hundred, apart from those who died over the matter of Korah.

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