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 men;

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 with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, 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 gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “ You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord ?”

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

So when Moses heard it, 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 cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.

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

Do this: Take censers, 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!”

put fire in them and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, 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 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 work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve 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 to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking 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. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?”

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

And Moses sent to call 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 a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should keep acting like a prince 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.”

Moreover you have not 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 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 was very angry, and said to the Lord, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them.”

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

And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company be present before the Lord —you and they, as well as 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.”

Let each take his censer and put incense in it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty censers; both you and Aaron, each with his censer.”

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 every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle 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.

And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.

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

And 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 in a moment.”

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?”

Then they fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?”

23 Y ahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

So 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 away from the tents 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 rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed 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! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.”

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 away from around 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 children.

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.

And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.

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 naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common 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 creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”

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

Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them,

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, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.

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 those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.

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

Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also! ”

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

And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering 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,

“Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to pick up the censers out of the blaze, for they are holy, and scatter the fire some distance away.

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.”

The censers of these men who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before the Lord, therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children 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 those who were burned up had presented, and they were hammered out as a covering on 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.

to be a memorial to the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the Lord had said to him through Moses. Complaints of the People

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!”

On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.”

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.

Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly 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 before the tabernacle 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 in a moment.” And 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.”

So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out 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 commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people.

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

And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped.

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

Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident.

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

So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.