Numbers

Korah’s Rebellion

1Now 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

2a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly.

3They 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?”

4When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.

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

6You, Korah, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers,

7and 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!”

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

9Is 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?

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

11Therefore, 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?”

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

13Is 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?

14Moreover, 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!”

15Then 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.”

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

17Each 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.”

18So 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.

19When 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.

20And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

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

22But 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?”

Moses Separates the People

23Then the LORD said to Moses,

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

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

26And 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.”

27So 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.

The Earth Swallows Korah

28Then 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:

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

30But 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.”

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

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

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

34At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!”

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

The Censers Reserved for Holy Use

36Then the LORD said to Moses,

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.

38As 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.”

39So 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,

40just 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.

Murmuring and Plague

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

42But 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.

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

44and the LORD said to Moses,

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

46Moses 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.”

47So 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.

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

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

50Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, since the plague had been halted.

1And behold Core the son of Isaar, the son of Caath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab, and Hon the son of Pheleth of the children of Ruben,

2Rose up against Moses, and with them two hundred and fifty others of the children of Israel, leading men of the synagogue, and who in the time of assembly were called by name.

3And when they had stood up against Moses and Aaron, they said: Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them: Why lift you up yourselves above the people of the Lord?

4When Moses heard this, he fell flat on his face:

5And speaking to Core and all the multitude, he said: In the morning the Lord will make known who belong to him, and the holy he will join to himself: and whom he shall choose, they shall approach to him.

6Do this therefore: Take every man of you your censers, thou Core, and all thy company.

7And putting fire in them tomorrow, put incense upon it before the Lord: and whomsoever he shall choose, the same shall be holy: you take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.

8And he said again to Core: Hear ye sons of Levi.

9Is it a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath spared you from all the people, and joined you to himself, that you should serve him in the service of the tabernacle, and should stand before the congregation of the people, and should minister to him?

10Did he therefore make thee and all thy brethren the sons of Levi to approach unto him, that you should challenge to yourselves the priesthood also,

11And that all thy company should stand against the Lord? for what is Aaron that you murmur against him?

12Then Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab. But they answered: We will not come.

13Is it a small matter to thee, that thou hast brought us out of a land that flowed with milk and honey, to kill us in the desert, except thou rule also like a lord over us?

14Thou best brought us indeed into a land that floweth with rivers of milk and honey, and hast given us possessions of fields and vineyards; wilt thou also pull out our eyes? We will not come.

15Moses therefore being very angry, raid to the Lord: Respect not their sacrifices: thou knowest that I have not taken of them so much as a young ass at any time, nor have injured any of them.

16And he said to Core: Do thou and thy congregation stand apart before the Lord tomorrow, and Aaron apart.

17Take every one of you censers, and put incense upon them, offering to the Lord two hundred and fifty censers: let Aaron also hold his censer.

18When they had done this, Moses and Aaron standing,

19And had drawn up all the multitude against them to the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.

20And the Lord speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:

21Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them.

22They fell flat on their face, and said: O most mighty, the God of the spirits of all flesh, for one man’s sin shall thy wrath rage against all?

23And the Lord said to Moses:

24Command the whole people to separate themselves from the tents of Core and Dathan and Abiron.

25And Moses arose, and went to Dathan and Abiron: and the ancients of Israel following him,

26He said to the multitude: Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be involved in their sins.

27And when they were departed from their tents round about, Dathan and Abiron coming out stood in the entry of their pavilions with their wives and children, and all the people.

28And Moses said: By this you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all things that you see, and that I have not forged them of my own head:

29If these men die the common death of men, and if they be visited with a plague, wherewith others also are wont to be visited, the Lord did not send me.

30But if the Lord do a new thing, and the earth opening her mouth swallow them down, and all things that belong to them, and they go down alive into hell, you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord.

31And immediately as he had made an end of speaking, the earth broke asunder under their feet:

32And opening her mouth, devoured them with their tents and all their substance.

33And they went down alive into hell the ground closing upon them, and they perished from among the people.

34But all Israel, that was standing round about, fled at the cry of them that were perishing: saying: Lest perhaps the earth swallow us up also.

35And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

36And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

37Command Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers that lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire of one side and the other: because they are sanctified

38In the deaths of the sinners: and let him beat them into plates, and fasten them to the altar, because incense hath been offered in them to the Lord, and they are sanctified, that the children of Israel may see them for a sign and a memorial.

39Then Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherein they had offered, whom the burning fire had devoured, and beat them into plates, fastening them to the altar:

40That the children of Israel might have for the time to come wherewith they should be admonished, that no stranger or any one that is not of seed of Aaron should come near to offer incense to the Lord, lest he should suffer as Core suffered, and all his congregation, according as the Lord spoke to Moses.

41The following day all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: You have killed the people of the Lord.

42And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased,

43Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. And when the were gone into it, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

44And the Lord said to Moses:

45Get you out from the midst of this multitude, this moment will I destroy them. And as they were lying on the ground,

46Moses said to Aaron: Take the censer, and putting fire in it from the altar, put incense upon it, and go quickly to the people to pray for them: for already wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague rageth.

47When Aaron had done this, and had run to the midst of the multitude which the burning fire was now destroying, he offered the incense:

48And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the plague ceased.

49And the number of them that were slain was fourteen thousand and seven hundred men, besides them that had perished in the sedition of Core.

50And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant after the destruction was over.