Chapter 16

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took⁴ [men]:

And they rose up⁴ before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

And they gathered themselves together¹¹ against Moses and against Aaron, and said⁴ unto them, [Ye take] too much upon you, seeing all the congregation [are] holy, every one of them, and the LORD [is] among them: wherefore then lift ye up¹⁰¹ yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

And when Moses heard⁴ [it], he fell⁴ upon his face:

And he spake¹⁷ unto Korah and unto all his company, saying,² Even to morrow the LORD will shew⁵⁵ who [are] his, and [who is] holy; and will cause [him] to come near⁵² unto him: even [him] whom he hath chosen⁴ will he cause to come near⁵⁵ unto him.

This do;³ Take³ you censers, Korah, and all his company;

And put³ fire therein, and put³ incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be [that] the man whom the LORD doth choose,⁴ he [shall be] holy: [ye take] too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.

And Moses said⁴ unto Korah, Hear,³ I pray you, ye sons of Levi:

[Seemeth it but] a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated⁵² you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near⁵³ to himself to do² the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand² before the congregation to minister¹⁵ unto them?

And he hath brought thee near⁵⁵ [to him], and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek¹⁴ ye the priesthood also?

For which cause [both] thou and all thy company [are] gathered together¹² against the LORD: and what [is] Aaron, that ye murmur^{55 3885 11} against him?

And Moses sent⁴ to call² Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said,⁴ We will not come up:⁴

[Is it] a small thing that thou hast brought us up⁵² out of a land that floweth⁶ with milk and honey, to kill⁵³ us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether⁹⁹ a prince¹⁰¹ over us?

Moreover thou hast not brought⁵² us into a land that floweth⁶ with milk and honey, or given⁴ us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out¹⁷ the eyes of these men? we will not come up.⁴

And Moses was very wroth,⁴ and said⁴ unto the LORD, Respect⁴ not thou their offering: I have not taken¹ one ass from them, neither have I hurt⁵² one of them.

And Moses said⁴ unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:

And take³ every man his censer, and put¹ incense in them, and bring⁵² ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each [of you] his censer.

And they took⁴ every man his censer, and put⁴ fire in them, and laid⁴ incense thereon, and stood⁴ in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.

And Korah gathered⁵⁵ all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared¹¹ unto all the congregation.

And the LORD spake¹⁷ unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,²

Separate¹⁰ yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume¹⁷ them in a moment.

And they fell⁴ upon their faces, and said,⁴ O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin,⁴ and wilt thou be wroth⁴ with all the congregation?

And the LORD spake¹⁷ unto Moses, saying,²

Speak¹⁶ unto the congregation, saying,² Get you up¹⁰ from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

And Moses rose up⁴ and went⁴ unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed^{4 310} him.

And he spake¹⁷ unto the congregation, saying,² Depart,³ I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch⁴ nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed¹¹ in all their sins.

So they gat up¹¹ from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out,¹ and stood¹² in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.

And Moses said,⁴ Hereby ye shall know⁴ that the LORD hath sent¹ me to do² all these works; for [I have] not [done them] of mine own mind.

If these men die⁴ the common death of all men, or if they be visited¹¹ after the visitation of all men; [then] the LORD hath not sent¹ me.

But if the LORD make⁴ a new thing, and the earth open¹ her mouth, and swallow them up,¹ with all that [appertain] unto them, and they go down¹ quick into the pit; then ye shall understand¹ that these men have provoked¹⁴ the LORD.

And it came to pass, as he had made an end¹⁵ of speaking¹⁵ all these words, that the ground clave asunder¹¹ that [was] under them:

And the earth opened⁴ her mouth, and swallowed them up,⁴ and their houses, and all the men that [appertained] unto Korah, and all [their] goods.

They, and all that [appertained] to them, went down⁴ alive into the pit, and the earth closed¹⁷ upon them: and they perished⁴ from among the congregation.

And all Israel that [were] round about them fled¹ at the cry of them: for they said,¹ Lest the earth swallow us up⁴ [also].

And there came out¹ a fire from the LORD, and consumed⁴ the two hundred and fifty men that offered⁵⁶ incense.

And the LORD spake¹⁷ unto Moses, saying,²

Speak³ unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up⁵⁵ the censers out of the burning, and scatter³ thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.¹

The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make¹ them broad plates [for] a covering of the altar: for they offered⁵² them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed:⁴ and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

And Eleazar the priest took⁴ the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt⁷ had offered;⁵² and they were made broad¹⁷ [plates for] a covering of the altar:

[To be] a memorial unto the children of Israel, that ⁴⁶¹⁶ no stranger, ^{2114 5} which [is] not of the seed of Aaron, come near⁴ to offer⁵³ incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said¹⁴ to him by the hand of Moses.

But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured¹¹ against Moses and against Aaron, saying,² Ye have killed⁵² the people of the LORD.

And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered⁹ against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked⁴ toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered¹⁴ it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.¹¹

And Moses and Aaron came⁴ before the tabernacle of the congregation.

And the LORD spake¹⁷ unto Moses, saying,²

Get you up¹⁰ from among this congregation, that I may consume¹⁷ them as in a moment. And they fell⁴ upon their faces.

And Moses said⁴ unto Aaron, Take³ a censer, and put³ fire therein from off the altar, and put³ on incense, and go⁵⁴ quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement¹⁶ for them: for there is wrath gone out¹ from the LORD; the plague is begun.⁵²

And Aaron took⁴ as Moses commanded,¹⁴ and ran⁴ into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun⁵² among the people: and he put⁴ on incense, and made an atonement¹⁷ for the people.

And he stood⁴ between the dead⁵ and the living; and the plague was stayed.¹¹

Now they that died⁵ in the plague were fourteen ⁶²⁴⁰ thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died⁵ about the matter of Korah.

And Aaron returned⁴ unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.⁸