The First Book of Moses, Commonly Called Numbers (WEB)
16: 1Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram,
the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 16:2and they rose up before
Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called
to the assembly, men of renown; 16:3and they assembled themselves together against Moses and
against Aaron, and said to them, You take too much on you, seeing all the congregation are holy,
everyone of them, and Yahweh is among them: why then lift you up yourselves above the
assembly of Yahweh? 16:4When Moses heard it, he fell on his face: 16:5and he spoke to Korah and to
all his company, saying, In the morning Yahweh will show who are his, and who is holy, and will
cause him to come near to him: even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near to
him. 16:6This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company; 16:7and put fire in them, and put
incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom Yahweh does
choose, he shall be holy: you take too much on you, you sons of Levi. 16:8Moses said to Korah,
Hear now, you sons of Levi: 16:9seems it but a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has
separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the
tent of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 16:10and that he has
brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? and seek you the priesthood
also? 16:11Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against Yahweh: and Aaron,
what is he who you murmur against him? 16:12Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of
Eliab; and they said, We won't come up: 16:13is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a
land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must needs make yourself
also a prince over us? 16:14Moreover you haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and
honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: will you put out the eyes of these men?
we won't come up. 16:15Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, "Don't respect their offering: I
have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them." 16:16Moses said to Korah,
You and all your company go before Yahweh, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow: 16:17and take
every man his censer, and put incense on them, and bring you before Yahweh every man his
censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer. 16:18They took every man
his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of
meeting with Moses and Aaron. 16:19Korah assembled all the congregation against them to the door
of the tent of meeting: and the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the congregation. 16:20Yahweh
spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 16:21Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I
may consume them in a moment. 16:22They fell on their faces, and said, God, the God of the spirits
of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation? 16:23Yahweh spoke
to Moses, saying, 16:24Speak to the congregation, saying, Get away from around the tent of Korah,
Dathan, and Abiram. 16:25Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel
followed him. 16:26He spoke to the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these
wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins. 16:27So they got
them up from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came
out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.
16:28Moses said, Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for I have
not done them of my own mind. 16:29If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be
visited after the visitation of all men; then Yahweh hasn't sent me. 16:30But if Yahweh make a new
thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and
they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh.
16:31It happened, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split apart that was
under them; 16:32and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and
all the men who appertained to Korah, and all their goods. 16:33So they, and all that appertained to
them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among
the assembly. 16:34All Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest
the earth swallow us up. 16:35Fire came forth from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty
men who offered the incense. 16:36Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 16:37Speak to Eleazar the son of
Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter you the fire yonder; for
they are holy, 16:38even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made
beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Yahweh; therefore they are
holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel. 16:39Eleazar the priest took the brazen
censers, which those who were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the
altar, 16:40to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, who isn't of the seed
of Aaron, comes near to burn incense before Yahweh; that he not be as Korah, and as his
company: as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses. 16:41But on the next day all the congregation of the
children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You have killed the people
of Yahweh. 16:42It happened, when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against
Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the
glory of Yahweh appeared. 16:43Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.
16:44Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 16:45Get away from among this congregation, that I may
consume them in a moment. They fell on their faces. 16:46Moses said to Aaron, Take they censer,
and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly to the
congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Yahweh; the plague
is begun. 16:47Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the
plague was begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the
people. 16:48He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 16:49Now those
who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about
the matter of Korah. 16:50Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tent of meeting: and the plague
was stayed.
World English Bible