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 VersionBemiḏbar (Numbers) 16
16
1And Qoraḥ, son of Yitshar, son of Qehath, son of Lĕwi, took both Dathan and Aḇiram the sons of Eliyaḇ, and On, son of Peleth, sons of Re’uḇĕn,
2and they rose up before Mosheh with some of the children of Yisra’ĕl, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, called ones of the meeting, men of name.
3And they assembled against Mosheh and against Aharon, and said to them, “Enough of you! For all the congregation is set-apart, all of them, and יהוה is in their midst. Why then do you lift up yourselves above the assembly of יהוה?”
4And when Mosheh heard, he fell on his face,
5and spoke to Qoraḥ and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning יהוה shall make known who is His and who is set-apart, and bring him near to Him. And let Him bring near to Him the one whom He chooses.
6“Do this: Take fire holders, Qoraḥ and all your company,
7and put fire in them and put incense in them before יהוה tomorrow. And it shall be that the one whom יהוה chooses is the set-apart one. Enough of you, sons of Lĕwi!”
8And Mosheh said to Qoraḥ, “Hear now, you sons of Lĕwi:
9“Is it little to you that the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl has separated you from the congregation of Yisra’ĕl, to bring you near to Himself, to perform the service of the Dwelling Place of יהוה, and to stand before the congregation to serve them,
10and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brothers, the sons of Lĕwi, with you? Yet you seek the priesthood as well?
11“Therefore you and all your company are set against יהוה. And Aharon, what is he that you grumble against him?”
12And Mosheh sent to call Dathan and Aḇiram the sons of Eliyaḇ, but they said, “We are not coming up!
13“Is it little that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you would also seize total rule over us?
14“Also, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you bore out the eyes of these men? We are not coming up!”
15And Mosheh became very displeased, and said to יהוה, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.”
16Then Mosheh said to Qoraḥ, “Tomorrow, you and all your company shall be there before יהוה, you and they and Aharon.
17And take each one his fire holder, and you shall put incense in it. And let each one bring his fire holder before יהוה, two hundred and fifty fire holders, and you and Aharon, each one with his fire holder.
18So each one took his fire holder, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Appointment with Mosheh and Aharon.
19And Qoraḥ assembled all the congregation against them at the door of the Tent of Appointment. Then the esteem of יהוה appeared to all the congregation.
20And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, and to Aharon, saying,
21Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation, and let Me consume them in a moment.
22But they fell on their faces, and said, “O Ěl, Elohim of the spirits of all flesh! When one man sins, are You wroth with all the congregation?”
23And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
24Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Move away from around the tents of Qoraḥ, Dathan, and Aḇiram.’
25So Mosheh rose up and went to Dathan and Aḇiram, and the elders of Yisra’ĕl followed him.
26And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Please turn away from the tents of these wrong men! Do not touch whatever belongs to them, lest you be consumed in all their sins.”
27Then they moved away from around the tents of Qoraḥ, Dathan, and Aḇiram. And Dathan and Aḇiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
28And Mosheh said, “By this you know that יהוה has sent me to do all these works, that they are not from my own heart.
29“If these die as all men do, or if they are visited as all men are visited, then יהוה has not sent me.
30But if יהוה creates what is unheard of, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into She’ol,#See Explanatory Notes - "She’ol" then you shall know that these men have scorned יהוה.”
31And it came to be, as he ended speaking all these words, that the ground under them split apart,
32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Qoraḥ, with all their goods.
33So they and all those with them went down alive into She’ol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
34And all Yisra’ĕl who were round about them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”
35And a fire came out from יהוה and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.
36And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
37“Say to El‛azar, son of Aharon the priest, to pick up the fire holders out of the blaze, for they are set-apart, and scatter the fire some distance away.
38“The fire holders of these men who sinned against their own lives, let them be made into beaten plates as a covering for the slaughter-place. Because they brought them before יהוה, therefore they are set-apart. And let them become a sign to the children of Yisra’ĕl.”
39And El‛azar the priest took the bronze fire holders, which those who were burned up had brought, and they were beaten out as a covering on the slaughter-place –
40a remembrance to the children of Yisra’ĕl that no stranger who is not of the seed of Aharon, should come near to offer incense before יהוה, and not be like Qoraḥ and his company – as יהוה had said to him through Mosheh.
41But all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl grumbled against Mosheh and against Aharon on the next day, saying, “You, you have killed the people of יהוה.”
42And it came to be, when the congregation assembled against Mosheh and against Aharon, that they turned toward the Tent of Appointment. And see, the cloud covered it, and the esteem of יהוה appeared.
43And Mosheh and Aharon came before the Tent of Appointment.
44And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
45Arise from amidst this congregation, and let Me consume them in a moment. And they fell on their faces.
46So Mosheh said to Aharon, “Take the fire holder and put fire in it from the slaughter-place, and lay incense on, and go, hurry to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from יהוה, the plague has begun.”
47And Aharon took it as Mosheh commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly, and saw that the plague had begun among the people. And he laid on the incense and made atonement for the people,
48and stood between the dead and the living. And the plague was stopped.
49And those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died on account of Qoraḥ.
50Then Aharon returned to Mosheh at the door of the Tent of Appointment, for the plague had stopped.
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