Numbers 16

¹Then, behold, Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and also On the son of Peleth, of the sons of Ruben,

²rose up against Moses, with two hundred fifty others of the sons of Israel, leading men of the assembly, and who, at the time of a council, would be called by name.

³And when they had stood against Moses and Aaron, they said: “Let it be sufficient for you that the entire multitude is of holy ones, and that the Lord is among them. Why do you elevate yourselves above the people of the Lord?”

⁴When Moses had heard this, he fell prone on his face.

⁵And speaking to Korah, and to the entire multitude, he said: “In the morning, the Lord will cause it to be known who belongs to him, and which holy ones he will join to himself. And whomever he will choose, they shall be close to him.

⁶Therefore, do this: Each one of you, Korah and all your associates, take your censer,

⁷and drawing fire into it tomorrow, place incense upon it before the Lord. And whomever he will choose, the same shall be holy. You sons of Levi have been raised up greatly.”

⁸And he said again to Korah: “Listen, sons of Levi.

⁹Is it a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from all the people, and has joined you to himself, so that you would serve him in the rituals of the tabernacle, and stand before gatherings of the people, and minister to him?

¹⁰Was the reason that he caused you and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, to approach him, so that you would even claim for yourselves the priesthood too,

¹¹and so that your entire group would stand against the Lord? For what is Aaron that you should murmur against him?”

¹²Therefore, Moses sent to call for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, who responded: “We will not come.

¹³Is it a small matter to you, that you have led us away from a land that was flowing with milk and honey, so as to kill us in the desert, unless you could also be a ruler over us?

¹⁴You have led us, it is true, to a land that flows with streams of milk and honey, and you have given us possession of fields and vineyards. But will you also tear out our eyes? We will not come.”

¹⁵And Moses, being very angry, said to the Lord: “Do not look with favor on their sacrifices. You know that I have not accepted from them, at any time, so much as a young donkey, nor have I afflicted any of them.”

¹⁶And he said to Korah: “You and your congregation, stand alone before the Lord, and apart from Aaron, tomorrow.

¹⁷Let each one of you take censers, and place incense in them, offering to the Lord two hundred fifty censers. Let Aaron also hold his censer.”

¹⁸When they had done this, Moses and Aaron stood up,

¹⁹and, having crowded the entire multitude close to them at the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.

²⁰And the Lord, speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:

²¹“Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation, so that I may suddenly destroy them.”

²²But they fell prone on their faces, and they said, “O most strong One, the God of the spirits of all flesh, should your anger rage against all, for the sin of one?”

²³And the Lord said to Moses:

²⁴“Instruct the entire people to separate from the tents of Korah, and Dathan, and Abiram.”

²⁵And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram. And the elders of Israel followed him,

²⁶and he said to the crowd, “Withdraw from the tabernacles of these impious men, and touch nothing which pertains to them, lest you become involved in their sins.”

²⁷And when they had withdrawn from their tents all around, Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their pavilions, with their wives and children, and with all their associates.

²⁸And Moses said: “By this shall you know that the Lord has sent me to do all that you discern, and that I have not brought these things out of my own heart:

²⁹If these men pass away by the common death of men, or if they will be visited by a scourge, of a kind by which others are often visited, then the Lord did not send me.

³⁰But if the Lord accomplishes something new, so that the earth opens its mouth and swallows them whole, along with everything that belongs to them, and they descend alive into the underworld, then you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord.”

³¹Therefore, as soon as he had ceased to speak, the earth broke open under their feet.

³²And opening its mouth, it devoured them with their tabernacles and their entire substance.

³³And they descended alive, the ground closing around them, into the underworld, and they perished from the midst of the multitude.

³⁴Yet truly, all of Israel, which was standing all around, took flight at the clamor of those who were perishing, saying, “Lest perhaps the earth may swallow us whole also.”

³⁵Then, too, a fire, going forth from the Lord, put to death the two hundred fifty men who were offering the incense.

³⁶And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

³⁷“Instruct Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to take up the censers which lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire to one side and another, because they were sanctified

³⁸in the deaths of these sinners. And let him form them into plates, and affix them to the altar, because incense had been offered in them to the Lord, and they were sanctified, and so that the sons of Israel may discern in them a sign and a memorial.”

³⁹Therefore, Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, by which those whom the burning devoured had made an offering, and he formed them into plates, affixing them to the altar,

⁴⁰so that the sons of Israel would have, thereafter, something to admonish them, lest any stranger, or anyone who is not of the offspring of Aaron, might approach to offer incense to the Lord, and lest he endure what happened to Korah, and to all his congregation, when the Lord spoke to Moses.

⁴¹Then, the following day, the entire multitude of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: “You have put to death the people of the Lord.”

⁴²And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased,

⁴³Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. But after they had entered it, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

⁴⁴And the Lord said to Moses:

⁴⁵“Withdraw from the midst of this multitude, and I will destroy them immediately.” And while they were lying on the ground,

⁴⁶Moses said to Aaron: “Take the censer, and draw fire into it from the altar; place incense upon it, and continue on, quickly, to the people, to pray for them. For already wrath has gone forth from the Lord, and the scourge rages.”

⁴⁷When Aaron had done this, and he had run into the midst of the multitude, which the burning fire was now destroying, he offered the incense.

⁴⁸And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the scourge ceased.

⁴⁹But the number of those who were struck down was fourteen thousand men, and seven hundred, aside from those who had perished in the sedition of Korah.

⁵⁰And Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, after the destruction quieted.

Numbers 16

¹And behold Core the son of Isaar, the son of Caath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab, and Hon the son of Pheleth of the children of Ruben,

²Rose up against Moses, and with them two hundred and fifty others of the children of Israel, leading men of the synagogue, and who in the time of assembly were called by name.

³And when they had stood up against Moses and Aaron, they said: Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them: Why lift you up yourselves above the people of the Lord?

⁴When Moses heard this, he fell flat on his face:

⁵And speaking to Core and all the multitude, he said: In the morning the Lord will make known who belong to him, and the holy he will join to himself: and whom he shall choose, they shall approach to him.

⁶Do this therefore: Take every man of you your censers, thou Core, and all thy company.

⁷And putting fire in them to morrow, put incense upon it before the Lord: and whomsoever he shall choose, the same shall be holy: you take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.

⁸And he said again to Core: Hear ye sons of Levi.

⁹Is it a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath spared you from all the people, and joined you to himself, that you should serve him in the service of the tabernacle, and should stand before the congregation of the people, and should minister to him?

¹⁰Did he therefore make thee and all thy brethren the sons of Levi to approach unto him, that you should challenge to yourselves the priesthood also,

¹¹And that all thy company should stand against the Lord? for what is Aaron that you murmur against him?

¹²Then Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab. But they answered: We will not come.

¹³Is it a small matter to thee, that thou hast brought us out of a land that flowed with milk and honey, to kill us in the desert, except thou rule also like a lord over us?

¹⁴Thou hast brought us indeed into a land that floweth with rivers of milk and honey, and hast given us possessions of fields and vineyards; wilt thou also pull out our eyes? We will not come.

¹⁵Moses therefore being very angry, said to the Lord: Respect not their sacrifices: thou knowest that I have not taken of them so much as a young ass at any time, nor have injured any of them.

¹⁶And he said to Core: Do thou and thy congregation stand apart before the Lord to morrow, and Aaron apart.

¹⁷Take every one of you censers, and put incense upon them, offering to the Lord two hundred and fifty censers: let Aaron also hold his censer.

¹⁸When they had done this, Moses and Aaron standing,

¹⁹And had drawn up all the multitude against them to the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.

²⁰And the Lord speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:

²¹Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them.

²²They fell flat on their face, and said: O most mighty, the God of the spirits of all flesh, for one man's sin shall thy wrath rage against all?

²³And the Lord said to Moses:

²⁴Command the whole people to separate themselves from the tents of Core and Dathan and Abiron.

²⁵And Moses arose, and went to Dathan and Abiron: and the ancients of Israel following him,

²⁶He said to the multitude: Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be involved in their sins.

²⁷And when they were departed from their tents round about, Dathan and Abiron coming out stood in the entry of their pavilions with their wives and children, and all the people.

²⁸And Moses said: By this you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all things that you see, and that I have not forged them of my own head:

²⁹If these men die the common death of men, and if they be visited with a plague, wherewith others also are wont to be visited, the Lord did not send me.

³⁰But if the Lord do a new thing, and the earth opening her mouth swallow them down, and all things that belong to them, and they go down alive into hell, you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord.

³¹And immediately as he had made an end of speaking, the earth broke asunder under their feet:

³²And opening her mouth, devoured them with their tents and all their substance.

³³And they went down alive into hell, the ground closing upon them, and they perished from among the people.

³⁴But all Israel, that was standing round about, fled at the cry of them that were perishing: saying: Lest perhaps the earth swallow us up also.

³⁵And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

³⁶And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

³⁷Command Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers that lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire of one side and the other: because they are sanctified

³⁸In the deaths of the sinners: and let him beat them into plates, and fasten them to the altar, because incense hath been offered in them to the Lord, and they are sanctified, that the children of Israel may see them for a sign and a memorial.

³⁹Then Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherein they had offered, whom the burning fire had devoured, and beat them into plates, fastening them to the altar:

⁴⁰That the children of Israel might have for the time to come wherewith they should be admonished, that no stranger or any one that is not of the seed of Aaron should come near to offer incense to the Lord, lest he should suffer as Core suffered, and all his congregation, according as the Lord spoke to Moses.

⁴¹The following day all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: You have killed the people of the Lord.

⁴²And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased,

⁴³Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. And when they were gone into it, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

⁴⁴And the Lord said to Moses:

⁴⁵Get you out from the midst of this multitude, this moment will I destroy them. And as they were lying on the ground,

⁴⁶Moses said to Aaron: Take the censer, and putting fire in it from the altar, put incense upon it, and go quickly to the people to pray for them: for already wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague rageth.

⁴⁷When Aaron had done this, and had run to the midst of the multitude which the burning fire was now destroying, he offered the incense:

⁴⁸And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the plague ceased.

⁴⁹And the number of them that were slain was fourteen thousand and seven hundred men, besides them that had perished in the sedition of Core.

⁵⁰And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant after the destruction was over.