Now aKorah the son
of Izhar
, the son
of Kohath
, the son
of Levi
, with bDathan
and Abiram
, the sons
of Eliab
, and On
the son
of Peleth
, sons
of Reuben
, took
action,
and they rose up before
Moses
, 1together with some
of the sons
of Israel
, two hundred
and fifty
leaders
of the congregation
, 2 achosen
in the assembly
, men
of renown
.
They assembled together aagainst
Moses
and Aaron
, and said
to them, " 1 bYou have gone far
enough
, for all
the congregation
are holy
, every
one
of them, and cthe LORD
is in their midst
; so why
do you exalt
yourselves above
the assembly
of the LORD
?"
When Moses heard
this, ahe fell
on his face
;
and he spoke to Korah
and all
his company
, saying
, "Tomorrow
morning
the LORD
will show
who
is His, and awho is holy
, and will bring
him near
to Himself; even bthe one whom
He will choose
, He will bring
near
to Himself.
"Do this
: take
censers
for yourselves, Korah
and all
1your company
,
and put fire
in them, and lay
incense
upon them in the presence
of the LORD
tomorrow
; and the man
whom
the LORD
chooses
shall be the one
who
is holy
. 1 aYou have gone far
enough
, you sons
of Levi
!"
Then Moses said
to Korah
, "Hear
now
, you sons
of Levi
,
ais it 1not enough for you that the God
of Israel
has separated
you from the rest of the congregation
of Israel
, bto bring
you near
to Himself, to do
the service
of the tabernacle
of the LORD
, and to stand
before
the congregation
to minister
to them;
and that He has brought you near
, Korah, and all
your brothers
, sons
of Levi
, with you? And are you aseeking
for the priesthood
also
?
"Therefore you and all
your company
are gathered
together aagainst
the LORD
; but as for Aaron
, 1who
is he that byou grumble
against
him?"
Then Moses sent
1a summons
to Dathan
and Abiram
, the sons
of Eliab
; but they said
, "We will not come
up.
"Is it 1not enough that you have brought
us up out of a aland
flowing
with milk
and honey
bto have us die
in the wilderness
, but you would also
lord
it over
us?
"Indeed, you have not brought
us ainto a land
flowing
with milk
and honey
, nor
have you given
us an inheritance
of bfields
and vineyards
. Would you 1 cput
out the eyes
of 2these
men
? We will not come
up!"
Then Moses became
very
angry
and said
to the LORD
, " aDo not regard
their offering
! bI have not taken
a single
donkey
from them, nor
have I done
harm
to any
of them."
Moses said
to Korah
, "You and all
your company
be present
before
the LORD
tomorrow
, both you and they along with Aaron
.
"Each of you take
his firepan
and put
incense
on 1it, and each
of you bring
his censer
before
the LORD
, two hundred
and fifty
firepans
; also you and Aaron
shall each
bring his firepan
."
So they each took
his own censer
and put
fire
on 1it, and laid
incense
on 1it; and they stood
at the doorway
of the tent
of meeting
, with Moses
and Aaron
.
Thus Korah assembled
all
the congregation
against
them at the doorway
of the tent
of meeting
. And athe glory
of the LORD
appeared
to all
the congregation
.
Then the LORD spoke
to Moses
and Aaron
, saying
,
" aSeparate yourselves from among
this
congregation
, bthat I may consume
them instantly
."
But they fell on their faces
and said
, "O God
, aGod
of the spirits
of all
flesh
, bwhen one
man
sins
, will You be angry
with the entire
congregation
?"
Then the LORD spoke
to Moses
, saying
,
"Speak to the congregation
, saying
, ` aGet
back
from around
the dwellings
of Korah
, Dathan
and Abiram
.' "
Then Moses arose
and went
to Dathan
and Abiram
, with the elders
of Israel
following
him,
and he spoke to the congregation
, saying
, " aDepart
now
from the tents
of these
wicked
men
, and touch
nothing
that belongs to them, bor
you will be swept
away
in all
their sin
."
So they got back
from around
the dwellings
of Korah
, Dathan
and Abiram
; and Dathan
and Abiram
came
out and stood
at the doorway
of their tents
, along with their wives
and atheir sons
and their little
ones
.
Moses said
, "By this
you shall know
that athe LORD
has sent
me to do
all
these
deeds
; for this is not 1my doing
.
"If these
men
die
1the death
of all
men
or 2if they suffer
the afate
of all
men
, then the LORD
has not sent
me.
"But aif the LORD
1brings
about
an entirely
new
thing
and the ground
opens
its mouth
and swallows
them up with all
that is theirs
, and they bdescend
alive
into 2Sheol
, then you will understand
that these
men
have spurned
the LORD
."
As he finished speaking
all
these
words
, the ground
that was under
them split
open
;
and athe earth opened
its mouth
and swallowed
them up, and their households
, and ball
the men
who
belonged to Korah
with their possessions
.
So they and all that belonged to them went
down
alive
to 1Sheol
; and the earth
closed
over
them, and they perished
from the midst
of the assembly
.
All Israel
who
were around
them fled
at their 1outcry
, for they said
, "The earth
may swallow
us up!"
aFire also came
forth
from the LORD
and consumed
the btwo hundred
and fifty
men
who were offering
the incense
.
1Then the LORD spoke
to Moses
, saying
,
"Say to Eleazar
, the son
of Aaron
the priest
, that he shall take
up the censers
out of the midst
of the 1blaze
, for they are holy
; and you scatter
the 2burning
coals
abroad
.
"As for the censers of these
1men
who
have sinned
at the cost of their lives
, let them be made
into hammered
sheets
for a plating
of the altar
, since
they did present
them before
the LORD
and they are holy
; and athey shall be for a sign
to the sons
of Israel
."
So Eleazar the priest
took
the bronze
censers
which
the men who were burned
had offered
, and they hammered
them out as a plating
for the altar
,
as a 1reminder to the sons
of Israel
that ano
2layman
who
is not of the 3descendants
of Aaron
should come
near
bto burn
incense
before
the LORD
; so that he will not become
like Korah
and his company
--just
as the LORD
had spoken
to him 4through
Moses
.
But on the next day
all
the congregation
of the sons
of Israel
agrumbled
against
Moses
and Aaron
, saying
, "You are the ones who have caused
the death
of the LORD'S
people
."
It came about, however, when the congregation
had assembled
against
Moses
and Aaron
, that they turned
toward
the tent
of meeting
, and behold
, the cloud
covered
it and athe glory
of the LORD
appeared
.
Then Moses and Aaron
came
to the front
of the tent
of meeting
,
and the LORD spoke
to Moses
, saying
,
" 1 aGet away
from among
this
congregation
, that I may consume
them instantly
." Then they fell
on their faces
.
Moses said
to Aaron
, "Take
your censer
and put
in it fire
from the altar
, and lay
incense
on it; then bring
it quickly
to the congregation
and amake
atonement
for them, for bwrath
has gone
forth
from the LORD
, the plague
has begun
!"
Then Aaron took
it as Moses
had spoken
, and ran
into the midst
of the assembly
, for behold
, the plague
had begun
among the people
. aSo he put
on the incense
and made
atonement
for the people
.
He took his stand
between
the dead
and the living
, so that the plague
was checked
.
aBut those who died by the plague
were 14,700
, besides
those who bdied
on account
of Korah
.
Then Aaron returned
to Moses
at the doorway
of the tent
of meeting
, for the plague
had been checked
.