Numbers - 16

1 - Now Korah - , the son of Izhar - , the son of Kohath - , the son of Levi - , and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On - , the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben - , took men:

2 - And they rose up before Moses - , with certain of the children of Israel - , two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

3 - And they gathered themselves together against Moses - and against Aaron - , and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

4 - And when Moses - heard it, he fell upon his face:

5 - And he spake unto Korah - and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.

6 - This do; Take you censers, Korah - , and all his company;

7 - And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi - .

8 - And Moses - said unto Korah - , Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi - :

9 - Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel - hath separated you from 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 unto them?

10 - And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi - with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?

11 - For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron - , that ye murmur against him?

12 - And Moses - sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:

13 - Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?

14 - Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

15 - And Moses - was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

16 - And Moses - said unto Korah - , Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron - , to morrow:

17 - And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron - , each of you his censer.

18 - And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses - and Aaron - .

19 - And Korah - gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.

20 - And the LORD spake unto Moses - and unto Aaron - , saying,

21 - Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

22 - And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

23 - And the LORD spake unto Moses - , saying,

24 - Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah - , Dathan, and Abiram.

25 - And Moses - rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel - followed him.

26 - And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

27 - So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah - , Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.

28 - And Moses - said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.

29 - If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.

30 - But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.

31 - And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

32 - And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah - , and all their goods.

33 - They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

34 - And all Israel - that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

35 - And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

36 - And the LORD spake unto Moses - , saying,

37 - Speak unto Eleazar - the son of Aaron - the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.

38 - The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel - .

39 - And Eleazar - the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

40 - To be a memorial unto the children of Israel - , that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron - , come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah - , and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses - .

41 - But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel - murmured against Moses - and against Aaron - , saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.

42 - And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses - and against Aaron - , that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

43 - And Moses - and Aaron - came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

44 - And the LORD spake unto Moses - , saying,

45 - Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

46 - And Moses - said unto Aaron - , Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

47 - And Aaron - took as Moses - commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

48 - And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49 - Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah - .

50 - And Aaron - returned unto Moses - unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.