Numbers

可拉、大坍、亚比兰的叛变

1利未的曾孙、哥辖的孙子、以斯哈的儿子可拉，和吕便子孙中以利押的儿子大坍、亚比兰，与比勒的儿子安，

2并以色列会中的二百五十个首领，就是有名望选入会中的人，在摩西面前一同起来，

3聚集攻击摩西、亚伦，说：「你们擅自专权！全会众个个既是圣洁，耶和华也在他们中间，你们为什么自高，超过耶和华的会众呢？」

4摩西听见这话就俯伏在地，

5对可拉和他一党的人说：「到了早晨，耶和华必指示谁是属他的，谁是圣洁的，就叫谁亲近他；他所拣选的是谁，必叫谁亲近他。

6可拉啊，你们要这样行，你和你的一党要拿香炉来。

7明日，在耶和华面前，把火盛在炉中，把香放在其上。耶和华拣选谁，谁就为圣洁。你们这利未的子孙擅自专权了！」

8摩西又对可拉说：「利未的子孙哪，你们听我说！

9以色列的 神从以色列会中将你们分别出来，使你们亲近他，办耶和华帐幕的事，并站在会众面前替他们当差。

10耶和华又使你和你一切弟兄—利未的子孙—一同亲近他，这岂为小事？你们还要求祭司的职任吗？

11你和你一党的人聚集是要攻击耶和华。亚伦算什么，你们竟向他发怨言呢？」

12摩西打发人去召以利押的儿子大坍、亚比兰。他们说：「我们不上去！

13你将我们从流奶与蜜之地领上来，要在旷野杀我们，这岂为小事？你还要自立为王辖管我们吗？

14并且你没有将我们领到流奶与蜜之地，也没有把田地和葡萄园给我们为业。难道你要剜这些人的眼睛吗？我们不上去！」

15摩西就甚发怒，对耶和华说：「求你不要享受他们的供物。我并没有夺过他们一匹驴，也没有害过他们一个人。」

16摩西对可拉说：「明天，你和你一党的人，并亚伦，都要站在耶和华面前；

17各人要拿一个香炉，共二百五十个，把香放在上面，到耶和华面前。你和亚伦也各拿自己的香炉。」

18于是他们各人拿一个香炉，盛上火，加上香，同摩西、亚伦站在会幕门前。

19可拉招聚全会众到会幕门前，要攻击摩西、亚伦；耶和华的荣光就向全会众显现。

20耶和华晓谕摩西、亚伦说：

21「你们离开这会众，我好在转眼之间把他们灭绝。」

22摩西、亚伦就俯伏在地，说：「 神，万人之灵的 神啊，一人犯罪，你就要向全会众发怒吗？」

23耶和华晓谕摩西说：

24「你吩咐会众说：『你们离开可拉、大坍、亚比兰帐棚的四围。』」

25摩西起来，往大坍、亚比兰那里去；以色列的长老也随着他去。

26他吩咐会众说：「你们离开这恶人的帐棚吧，他们的物件，什么都不可摸，恐怕你们陷在他们的罪中，与他们一同消灭。」

27于是众人离开可拉、大坍、亚比兰帐棚的四围。大坍、亚比兰带着妻子、儿女、小孩子，都出来，站在自己的帐棚门口。

28摩西说：「我行的这一切事本不是凭我自己心意行的，乃是耶和华打发我行的，必有证据使你们知道。

29这些人死若与世人无异，或是他们所遭的与世人相同，就不是耶和华打发我来的。

30倘若耶和华创作一件新事，使地开口，把他们和一切属他们的都吞下去，叫他们活活地坠落阴间，你们就明白这些人是藐视耶和华了。」

31摩西刚说完了这一切话，他们脚下的地就开了口，

32把他们和他们的家眷，并一切属可拉的人丁、财物，都吞下去。

33这样，他们和一切属他们的，都活活地坠落阴间；地口在他们上头照旧合闭，他们就从会中灭亡。

34在他们四围的以色列众人听他们呼号，就都逃跑，说：「恐怕地也把我们吞下去。」

35又有火从耶和华那里出来，烧灭了那献香的二百五十个人。

香炉

36耶和华晓谕摩西说：

37「你吩咐祭司亚伦的儿子以利亚撒从火中捡起那些香炉来，把火撒在别处，因为那些香炉是圣的。

38把那些犯罪、自害己命之人的香炉，叫人锤成片子，用以包坛。那些香炉本是他们在耶和华面前献过的，所以是圣的，并且可以给以色列人作记号。」

39于是祭司以利亚撒将被烧之人所献的铜香炉拿来，人就锤出来，用以包坛，

40给以色列人作纪念，使亚伦后裔之外的人不得近前来在耶和华面前烧香，免得他遭可拉和他一党所遭的。这乃是照耶和华借着摩西所吩咐的。

亚伦救了人民

41第二天，以色列全会众都向摩西、亚伦发怨言说：「你们杀了耶和华的百姓了。」

42会众聚集攻击摩西、亚伦的时候，向会幕观看，不料，有云彩遮盖了，耶和华的荣光显现。

43摩西、亚伦就来到会幕前。

44耶和华吩咐摩西说：

45「你们离开这会众，我好在转眼之间把他们灭绝。」他们二人就俯伏于地。

46摩西对亚伦说：「拿你的香炉，把坛上的火盛在其中，又加上香，快快带到会众那里，为他们赎罪；因为有忿怒从耶和华那里出来，瘟疫已经发作了。」

47亚伦照着摩西所说的拿来，跑到会中，不料，瘟疫在百姓中已经发作了。他就加上香，为百姓赎罪。

48他站在活人死人中间，瘟疫就止住了。

49除了因可拉事情死的以外，遭瘟疫死的，共有一万四千七百人。

50亚伦回到会幕门口，到摩西那里，瘟疫已经止住了。

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.