Numbers 16 Revised Geneva Translation
16 Now Korah (the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi) went with Dathan and Abiram (the sons of Eliab) and On (the son of Peleth), sons of Reuben.
2 And they rose up against Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty captains of the assembly, famous in the Congregation and men of renown.
3 They gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You take too much upon yourself, seeing all the Congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD among them. Why then do you lift yourselves above the Congregation of the LORD?”
4 But when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face
5 and spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, “Tomorrow, the LORD will show who is His and who is holy and who ought to approach Him. And whom He has chosen, He will cause to come near Him.
6 “Do this: Take censers, Korah and all his company,
7 “and put fire and incense in them before the LORD tomorrow. And the man whom the LORD chooses, the same shall be holy. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!”
8 Again Moses said to Korah, “Please hear, you sons of Levi.
9 “Does it seem a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the multitude of Israel, to take you near to Himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the Congregation and to minister to them.
10 “And that He has taken you and all your brothers to Himself, you and the sons of Levi? And yet you seek also the office of the Priest?
11 “For which cause, you and all your company have gathered together against the LORD. And what is Aaron, that you murmur against him?”
12 And Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, who answered, “We will not come up.
13 “Is it a small thing that you have brought us out of a land that flows with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, unless you make yourself lord and ruler over us?
14 “Also, you have not brought us to a land that flows with milk and honey, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.”
15 Then Moses became very angry, and said to the LORD, “Do not look upon their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them. Nor have I hurt any of them.”
16 And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company be before the LORD tomorrow — you, they, and Aaron.
17 “And every man take his censer and put incense in it, and every man bring his censer before the LORD (two hundred and fifty censers), including you and Aaron, everyone his censer.”
18 So every man took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and stood in the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation with Moses and Aaron.
19 And Korah gathered the whole multitude against them at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation. Then the Glory of the LORD appeared to all the Congregation.
20 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
21 “Separate yourselves from among this Congregation, so that I may consume them at once.”
22 And they fell upon their faces and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, has not only one man sinned? And will You be angry with all the Congregation?”
23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24 “Speak to the Congregation, and say, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’”
25 Then Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram. And the elders of Israel followed him.
26 And he spoke to the Congregation, saying, “Please depart from the tents of these wicked men! And touch nothing of theirs, lest you perish in all their sins!”
27 So they got away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents, with their wives and their sons and their little children.
28 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 “If these men die the common death of all men, or if they are visited after the visitation of all men, the LORD has not sent me.
30 “But if the LORD makes a new thing, and the Earth opens her mouth and swallows them up with all that they have. And they go down quickly into the pit, then you shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.”
31 And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart.
32 And the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, with their families and all the men who were with Korah and all their goods.
33 So they and all that they had went down, alive, into the pit. And the earth covered them. So they perished from among the Congregation.
34 And all Israel who were around them fled at the cry of them. For they said, “Let us flee, lest the Earth swallow us up!”
35 But there came out a fire from the LORD and consumed the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
36 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
37 “Speak to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the Priest, so that he takes up the censers out of the burning and scatters the fire beyond the Altar. For they are hallowed,
38 “the censers of these sinners against themselves. And let them make broad plates from them, for a covering of the Altar. For they offered them before the LORD. Therefore, they shall be Holy. And they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”
39 Then Eleazar the Priest took the brazen censers which those who were burnt had offered and made broad plates from them, for a covering of the Altar.
40 It is a remembrance to the children of Israel that no stranger who is not of the seed of Aaron comes near to offer incense before the LORD, so that he is not like Korah and his company, as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.
41 But the next day all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.”
42 And when the Congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, then they turned their faces toward the Tabernacle of the Congregation. And behold, the cloud covered it. And the Glory of the LORD appeared.
43 Then Moses and Aaron came before the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
44 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45 “Get away from among this Congregation. For I will consume them quickly.” Then they fell upon their faces.
46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take the censer and put fire in it from the Altar. And put incense in it. And go quickly to the Congregation and make an atonement for them. For wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun.”
47 Then Aaron took as Moses commanded him and ran into the midst of the Congregation. And behold, the plague had begun among the people. And he put in the incense and made an atonement for the people.
48 And when he stood between the dead and those who were alive, the plague was stopped.
49 So fourteen thousand seven hundred died of this plague, in addition to those who died in the conspiracy of Korah.
50 And Aaron again went to Moses before the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and the plague was stopped.
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