Numbers 16
16
Moses and Aaron Challenged
1Now 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: 2and 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: 3and 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?
4And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: 5and 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. 6This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company; 7and 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. 8And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: 9seemeth 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? 10And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also? 11For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?
12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up: 13is 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? 14Moreover 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.
15And 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. 16And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow: 17and 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. 18And 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. 19And 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.
20And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 21Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 22And 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? 23And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 24Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
25And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of their's, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. 27So 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. 28And 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. 29If 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. 30But 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.
31And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: 32and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33They, 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. 34And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. 35And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
36And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 37Speak 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. 38The 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. 39And 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: 40to 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.
41But 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. 42And 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. 43And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. 44And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 45Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. 46And 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. 47And 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. 48And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah. 50And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.
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Numbers 16: KJV
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Rights in the Authorized (King James) Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Published by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
Learn More About King James VersionNumbers 16
16
Rebellion Against Moses and Aaron
1Now #Ex. 6:21Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with #Num. 26:9; Deut. 11:6Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; 2and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, #Num. 1:16; 26:9representatives of the congregation, men of renown. 3#Num. 12:2; 14:2; Ps. 106:16They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for #Ex. 19:6all the congregation is holy, every one of them, #Ex. 29:45and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”
4So when Moses heard it, he #Num. 14:5; 20:6fell on his face; 5and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is #(2 Tim. 2:19)His and who is #Lev. 21:6–8, 12holy, and will cause him to #Ezek. 40:46; 44:15, 16come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him. 6Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company; 7put 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!”
8Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi: 9Is it #1 Sam. 18:23; Is. 7:13a small thing to you that the God of Israel has #Num. 3:41, 45; 8:13–16; Deut. 10:8separated 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; 10and 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? 11Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. #Ex. 16:7, 8And what is Aaron that you complain against him?”
12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up! 13Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of #Ex. 16:3; Num. 11:4–6a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should #Ex. 2:14; Acts 7:27, 35keep acting like a prince over us? 14Moreover #Num. 14:1–4you have not brought us into #Ex. 3:8; Lev. 20:24a 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!”
15Then Moses was very angry, and said to the Lord, #Gen. 4:4, 5“Do not respect their offering. #1 Sam. 12:3; Acts 20:33I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them.”
16And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company be present #1 Sam. 12:3, 7before the Lord—you and they, as well as Aaron. 17Let 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.” 18So 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. 19And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then #Ex. 16:7, 10; Lev. 9:6, 23; Num. 14:10the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.
20And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21#Gen. 19:17; Jer. 51:6“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may #Ex. 32:10; 33:5consume them in a moment.”
22Then they #Num. 14:5fell on their faces, and said, “O God, #Num. 27:16; Job 12:10; Eccl. 12:7; Heb. 12:9the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the #Gen. 18:23–32; 20:4congregation?”
23So the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’ ”
25Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26And he spoke to the congregation, saying, #Gen. 19:12, 14, 15, 17“Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.” 27So 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 #Ex. 20:5; Num. 26:11children.
28And Moses said: #Ex. 3:12; John 5:36“By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them #Num. 24:13; John 5:30of my own will. 29If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are #Ex. 20:5; Job 35:15; Is. 10:3visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. 30But if the Lord creates #Job 31:3; Is. 28:21a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they #(Ps. 55:15)go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”
31#Num. 26:10; Ps. 106:17Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and #Num. 26:11; 1 Chr. 6:22, 37all the men with Korah, with all their goods. 33So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!”
35And #Lev. 10:2; Num. 11:1–3; 26:10; Ps. 106:18a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.
36Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 37“Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to pick up the censers out of the blaze, for #Lev. 27:28they are holy, and scatter the fire some distance away. 38The censers of #Prov. 20:2; Hab. 2:10these 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; #Num. 17:10; Ezek. 14:8and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.” 39So 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, 40to be a memorial to the children of Israel #Num. 3:10; 2 Chr. 26:18that 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
41On the next day #Num. 14:2; Ps. 106:25all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” 42Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly #Ex. 40:34the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. 43Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.
44And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”
And they fell on their faces.
46So 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; #Lev. 10:6; Num. 18:5for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.” 47Then 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. 48And he stood between the dead and the living; #Num. 25:8; Ps. 106:30so the plague was stopped. 49Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident. 50So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.