1 N ow 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, caused trouble.

Now 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 some men.

2 T hey came in front of Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel. They had chosen 250 leaders of the people of Israel, well-known men.

They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown.

3 T hey all gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all the people are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. So why do you honor yourselves more than the people of the Lord?”

They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Yahweh is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above Yahweh’s assembly?”

4 W hen Moses heard this, he bowed to the ground.

When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.

5 H e said to Korah and all who were with him, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His, and who is holy. He will have him come near to Him. He will bring near to Himself the one whom He will choose.

He said to Korah and to all his company, “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, he will cause to come near to him.

6 D o this, Korah and all who are with you. Take pots for burning special perfume.

Do this: take censers, Korah, and all his company;

7 P ut fire in them, and put special perfume upon them before the Lord tomorrow. The man whom the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!”

and put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom Yahweh chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!”

8 T hen Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi.

Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi!

9 I s it not enough for you that the God of Israel has set you apart from the rest of the people of Israel? He has brought you near to Himself. He has you do the work around the meeting tent of the Lord. And He has you stand in front of the people to care for them.

Is it 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 Yahweh’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

10 H e has brought you near to Him, Korah, and all your brothers who are the sons of Levi, with you. Would you try to be the religious leaders also?

and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also?

11 S o you and all who are with you are gathered together against the Lord. But as for Aaron, who is he that you complain against him?”

Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against Yahweh! What is Aaron that you murmur against him?”

12 T hen Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come up.

Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up!

13 I s it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the desert? Must you make yourself a ruler over us also?

Is 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 also make yourself a prince over us?

14 M ore than this, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey. You have not given us any land with fields and grape vines. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”

Moreover 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.”

15 M oses became very angry. He said to the Lord, “Do not respect their gift! I have not taken one donkey from them. And I have not hurt one of them.”

Moses 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 T hen Moses said to Korah, “You and all who are with you be before the Lord tomorrow, you and they, and Aaron.

Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before Yahweh, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.

17 E ach of you take his fire pot and put special perfume on it. And each of you bring his fire pot before the Lord, 250 fire pots. Let both you and Aaron bring his fire pot also.”

Each man take his censer, and put incense on them, and each man bring before Yahweh his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer.”

18 S o each man took his fire pot and put fire in it and put special perfume on it. And they stood at the door of the meeting tent with Moses and Aaron.

They each took his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.

19 K orah gathered together all the people against them at the door of the meeting tent. And the shining-greatness of the Lord was seen by all the people.

Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the congregation.

20 T he Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

21 “ Go away from these people, so I may destroy them at once.”

“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”

22 B ut they fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with all the people?”

They 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?”

23 T hen the Lord said to Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

24 “ Say to the people, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”

25 T hen Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the leaders of Israel following him.

Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

26 A nd he said to the people, “Go away now from the tents of these sinful men. Touch nothing that belongs to them, or you will be destroyed because of all their sin.”

He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”

27 S o they went away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

28 M oses said, “By this you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works. For this is not my doing.

Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind.

29 I f these men die in the same way all men die, or if what happens to everyone happens to them, then the Lord has not sent me.

If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then Yahweh hasn’t sent me.

30 B ut the Lord will do something new. The ground will open its mouth and take them with all that belongs to them. And they will go down alive into the place of the dead. Then you will understand that these men have turned against the Lord.”

But if Yahweh makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up, with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh.”

31 A s soon as he stopped speaking, the ground under them opened up.

As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart.

32 T he earth opened its mouth and took them and all those of their house, and all Korah’s men and all that belonged to them.

The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods.

33 T hey and all that belonged to them went down alive to the place of the dead, and the earth closed over them. They were destroyed from among the people.

So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.

34 A nd all Israel who were around them ran away at their cry. For they said, “The earth may take us too!”

All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”

35 T hen fire came from the Lord and destroyed the 250 men who had brought the special perfume.

Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

36 T he Lord said to Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

37 “ Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the religious leader to take the fire pots out of the fire. For they are holy. Then spread the burning pieces far apart.

“Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy,

38 L et the fire pots of these men who have sinned and lost their lives be made into beaten plates to cover the altar. For they did bring them to the Lord and they are holy. They will be something special for the people of Israel to see.”

even the censers of these sinners against their own lives. Let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before Yahweh. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

39 S o Eleazar the religious leader took the brass fire pots which the men who were burned had brought. And they beat them into plates to cover the altar.

Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,

40 T hey were to make the people of Israel remember that no man who is not a religious leader and a son of Aaron should come to burn special perfume before the Lord. Or he might become like Korah and those who were with him, as the Lord said to Eleazar through Moses. The People Complain

to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before Yahweh, that he not be as Korah, and as his company; as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses.

41 B ut on the next day all the people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord’s people.”

But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed Yahweh’s people!”

42 W hen the people had gathered against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the meeting tent. There the cloud covered it and they saw the shining-greatness of the Lord.

When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, They looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and Yahweh’s glory appeared.

43 T hen Moses and Aaron came to the front of the meeting tent.

Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.

44 A nd the Lord said to Moses,

Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

45 “ Get away from these people, so I may destroy them at once.” Then they fell on their faces.

“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.

46 M oses said to Aaron, “Take your fire pot and put fire in it from the altar, and lay special perfume on it. Then be quick to bring it to the people and pay for their sin. For anger has gone out from the Lord. The disease has come!”

Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire from off the altar in it, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from Yahweh! The plague has begun.”

47 S o Aaron took it as Moses said, and ran to the people. The disease had already come upon them. He put on the special perfume and paid for the sin of the people.

Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. Behold, the plague has begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.

48 H e stood between the dead and the living, and the disease was stopped.

He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49 B ut 14, 700 people died by the disease, as well as those who died because of Korah.

Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah.

50 T hen Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the meeting tent, for the disease had been stopped.

Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.