CHAPTER 16
Now Korah
son
of Izhar,
the son
of Kohath
son
of Levi,
along with some Reubenites—
Dathan
and Abiram,
sons
of Eliab,
and On
son
of Peleth—
conducted
a rebellion
against
Moses,
along with 250
men
of Israel
renowned
as leaders
of the congregation
and representatives
in the assembly.
They came together
against
Moses
and
Aaron
and told them,
“You have gone too far!
Everyone
in the entire
congregation
is holy,
and the LORD
is in their midst.
Why
then do you exalt
yourselves above
the assembly
of the LORD?”
Then he said
to
Korah
and all
his followers,
“Tomorrow morning
the LORD
will reveal
who belongs
to Him
and
who is holy,
and He will bring that person near
to Himself.
The one
He chooses
He will bring near
to Himself.
and tomorrow
you are to place
fire
and incense
in them
in the presence
of the LORD.
Then the man
the LORD
chooses
will be
the one
who is holy.
It is you sons
of Levi
who have gone too far!”
Is it not enough
for
you that
the God
of Israel
has separated you
from the congregation
of Israel
and brought you near
to Himself
to perform
the work
at the LORD’s
tabernacle
and to stand
before
the congregation
to minister to them?
He has brought you near,
you and all
your fellow
Levites,
but you are seeking
the priesthood
as well.
Therefore,
it is you
and all
your followers
who have conspired
against
the LORD!
As for Aaron,
who
is he
that
you should grumble
against him?”
Is it not enough
that
you have brought us up
out of a land
flowing
with milk
and honey
to kill
us in the wilderness?
Must you also
appoint yourself as ruler
over us?
Moreover,
you have not
brought us
into
a land
flowing
with milk
and honey
or given
us an inheritance
of fields
and vineyards.
Will you gouge out
the eyes
of these
men?
No, we will not
come!”
Then Moses
became very
angry
and said
to
the LORD,
“Do not
regard
their offering.
I have not
taken
one
donkey
from them
or mistreated
a single
one of them.”
So Moses
told
Korah,
“You
and all
your followers
are to appear
before
the LORD
tomorrow—
you
and they
and Aaron.
Each man
is to take
his censer,
place
incense
in it,
and present
it
before
the LORD—
250
censers in all.
You
and Aaron
are to present your censers as well.”
So each man
took
his censer,
put
fire
and incense
in it,
and stood
with Moses
and Aaron
at the entrance
to the Tent
of Meeting.
When Korah
had gathered
his whole
assembly
against
them at
the entrance
to the Tent
of Meeting,
the glory
of the LORD
appeared
to
the whole
congregation.
But Moses and Aaron fell
facedown
and said,
“O God,
the God
of the spirits
of all
flesh,
when one
man
sins,
will You vent Your wrath
on
the whole
congregation?”
And he warned
the congregation,
“Move away
now
from
the tents
of these
wicked
men.
Do not
touch
anything
that belongs to them,
or
you will be swept away
because of all
their sins.”
So they moved away
from
the dwellings
of Korah,
Dathan,
and Abiram.
Meanwhile,
Dathan
and Abiram
had come out
and stood
at the entrance
of their tents
with their wives
and children
and infants.
Then Moses
said,
“This is how
you will know
that
the LORD
has sent me
to do
all
these
things,
for
it was not
my own doing:
If
these
men die
a natural death,
or if they suffer
the fate
of all
men,
then the LORD
has not
sent me.
But if
the LORD
brings about
something unprecedented,
and the earth
opens
its mouth
and swallows
them
and
all
that
belongs to them
so that they go down
alive
into Sheol,
then you will know
that
these
men
have treated
the LORD with contempt."
and the earth
opened
its mouth
and swallowed
them
and
their households,
all
Korah’s
men
and all
their possessions.
They
went down
alive
into Sheol
with all
they owned.
The earth
closed
over them,
and they vanished
from
the assembly.
At their cries,
all
the people of Israel
who were
around them
fled,
saying,
“The earth
may
swallow us too!”
“Tell
Eleazar
son
of Aaron
the priest
to remove
the censers
from
the flames,
because
they are holy,
and to scatter
the coals
far away.
As for the censers
of those
who sinned
at the cost of their own lives,
hammer them into
sheets
to overlay
the altar,
for
these were presented
before
the LORD,
and so have become holy.
They will serve as
a sign
to the Israelites.”
So Eleazar
the priest
took
the bronze
censers
brought
by those who had been burned up,
and he had them hammered out
to overlay
the altar,
just as
the LORD
commanded
him through
Moses.
This was to be a reminder
for the Israelites
that
no
outsider
who is not
a descendant
of Aaron
should approach
to offer
incense
before
the LORD,
lest he become
like Korah
and his followers.
The next day
the entire
congregation
of Israel
grumbled
against
Moses
and Aaron,
saying,
“You
have killed
the LORD’s
people!”
But
when the congregation
gathered
against them,
Moses
and Aaron
turned
toward
the Tent
of Meeting,
and suddenly the cloud
covered it
and the glory
of the LORD
appeared.
“Get away
from
this
congregation
so that I may consume
them
in an instant.”
And they fell
facedown.
Moses
said to
Aaron,
“Take
your censer,
place
fire
from
the altar
in it,
and add incense.
Go
quickly
to
the congregation
and make atonement
for them,
because
wrath
has come
out from
the LORD;
the plague
has begun."
So Aaron
took the censer
as
Moses
had ordered
and ran
into
the middle
of the assembly.
And seeing that the plague
had begun
among the people,
he offered the incense
and made atonement
for
the people.
But those who died
from the plague
numbered 14,700,
in addition to
those who had died
on account
of Korah.
Then Aaron
returned
to
Moses
at
the entrance
to the Tent
of Meeting,
since the plague
had been halted.