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, took some men.

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 action,

2 T hey 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.

and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown.

3 T hey 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?”

They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “ You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord ?”

4 W hen Moses heard it, he fell on his face.

When Moses heard this, he fell on his face;

5 H e 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.

and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself.

6 D o this: take censers, Korah, and all his company;

Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your company,

7 a nd 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!”

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. You have gone far enough, you sons of Levi!”

8 M oses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi!

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

9 I s 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;

is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to 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;

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

and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also?

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

Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord; but as for Aaron, who is he that you grumble against him?”

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

Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up.

13 I s 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?

Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us?

14 M oreover 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.”

Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”

15 M oses 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.”

Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “ Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.”

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

Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company be present before the Lord tomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron.

17 E ach 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.”

Each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron shall each bring his firepan.”

18 T hey 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.

So they each took his own censer and put fire on it, and laid incense on it; and they stood at the doorway of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron.

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

Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.

20 Y ahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

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

“ Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.”

22 T hey 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?”

But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”

23 Y ahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘ Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

25 M oses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

Then Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him,

26 H e 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!”

and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “ Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, or you will be swept away in all their sin.”

27 S o 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.

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 their sons and their little ones.

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

Moses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing.

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

If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.

30 B ut 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.”

But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord.”

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

As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open;

32 T he earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods.

and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions.

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

So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

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

All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!”

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

Fire also came forth from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

36 Y ahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

37 “ 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,

“Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad.

38 e ven 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.”

As for the censers of these men 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 they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.”

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

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,

40 t o 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.

as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the Lord; so that he will not become like Korah and his company—just as the Lord had spoken to him through Moses. Murmuring and Plague

41 B ut 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!”

But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord’s people.”

42 W hen 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.

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 the glory of the Lord appeared.

43 M oses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.

Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting,

44 Y ahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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

“ Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces.

46 M oses 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.”

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 make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the Lord, the plague has begun!”

47 A aron 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.

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. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people.

48 H e stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked.

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

But those who died by the plague were 14, 700, besides those who died on account of Korah.

50 A aron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.

Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.