可拉之亂

16 可拉是利未的曾孫、哥轄的孫子、以斯哈的兒子。他跟呂便支派以利押的兩個兒子大坍和亞比蘭以及比勒的兒子安心中狂妄, 聯合二百五十名在以色列會眾中有聲望的首領反叛摩西, 一起攻擊摩西和亞倫,說:「你們太過分了!全體會眾都是聖潔的,有耶和華住在他們當中,你們憑什麼將自己置於耶和華的會眾之上?」 摩西聽了這話,就俯伏在地, 對可拉一夥人說:「到了明天早上,耶和華必顯明誰是屬於祂的,誰是聖潔的。祂必讓祂所揀選的人到祂面前。 可拉啊,你們要這樣做,你和你的同夥明天帶香爐來, 在耶和華面前點火添香。耶和華揀選誰,誰就是聖潔的。你們利未人太過分了!」 摩西又對可拉說:「利未人啊,你們聽我說! 以色列的上帝把你們從以色列會眾中分別出來,使你們可以到祂面前,在祂的聖幕裡司職,替會眾辦事,你們還不滿足嗎? 10 可拉啊,耶和華使你和其他利未人事奉祂,你們還不滿足,還要貪求祭司的職分嗎? 11 其實你和你的同夥合謀反叛的是耶和華,而不是亞倫。」 12 摩西派人去召以利押的兒子大坍和亞比蘭,他們卻說:「我們不去! 13 你帶我們離開奶蜜之鄉,要讓我們死在曠野,這還不夠嗎?你還想自立為王管轄我們嗎? 14 你並沒有領我們到奶蜜之鄉,也沒有給我們田地和葡萄園作產業,你還想繼續矇騙我們嗎?我們不去!」

15 摩西非常憤怒,就對耶和華說:「求你不要接納他們的祭物。我沒有取過他們一頭驢,也沒有害過他們任何人。」 16 摩西對可拉說:「明天你和你的同夥要跟亞倫一起站在耶和華面前。 17 每人要拿一個香爐,放上香,帶到耶和華面前,共二百五十個。你和亞倫也要各拿一個香爐。」 18 於是,他們都拿著香爐,盛著火和香,跟摩西和亞倫一起站在會幕門口。 19 可拉把全體會眾招聚到會幕門口,要對付摩西和亞倫。這時,耶和華的榮光向會眾顯現。

20 耶和華對摩西和亞倫說: 21 「你們離開這些會眾,我好在頃刻之間消滅他們。」 22 摩西和亞倫就伏在地上說:「上帝啊,賜人生命的上帝啊!一人犯罪,你就要向全體會眾發怒嗎?」 23 耶和華對摩西說: 24 「你叫會眾離可拉、大坍和亞比蘭的帳篷遠一點。」

25 於是,摩西起來去大坍和亞比蘭那裡,以色列的長老也跟著他。 26 他對會眾說:「你們離這些惡人的帳篷遠一點,不要碰他們的任何東西,免得你們因他們的罪而受牽連,同遭毀滅。」 27 會眾便離開可拉、大坍和亞比蘭的帳篷。大坍和亞比蘭帶著妻小出來,站在自己的帳篷門口。 28 摩西對會眾說:「你們很快就知道,我所做的事都是奉耶和華之命而行,並非出於私意。 29 如果這些人像常人一樣死去,遭遇跟世人無異,我就不是耶和華派來的。 30 但如果耶和華做一件前所未有的事,使地裂開,吞下他們和屬於他們的一切,使他們活生生地墜入陰間,你們就知道這些人藐視耶和華了。」

31 摩西的話剛說完,這些人腳下的地就裂開, 32 吞下了他們和他們的家眷及所有可拉一夥的人和財物。 33 他們和屬於他們的一切就這樣活活地墜入陰間,地在他們上面合攏起來,他們就從會眾中滅亡了。 34 他們四圍的以色列人聽到他們的喊叫聲,紛紛逃跑,生怕自己也被吞下去。 35 耶和華又降下烈火,燒死了那二百五十個獻香的人。

36 耶和華對摩西說: 37 「你叫亞倫祭司的兒子以利亞撒去從火中把香爐撿起來,把炭火撒在遠處,因為那些香爐是聖潔的。 38 要把那些因犯罪而喪命之人的香爐打成薄片,用來包祭壇,因為那些香爐曾被獻在耶和華面前,是聖潔的,並且可讓以色列人引以為戒。」 39 於是,以利亞撒祭司取來被燒死之人所獻的銅香爐,叫人打成薄片用來包祭壇, 40 讓以色列人引以為戒,使亞倫子孫以外的人不致到耶和華面前燒香,以免像可拉及其同夥一樣滅亡。這是按照耶和華藉摩西的吩咐做的。

41 第二天,以色列全體會眾都埋怨摩西和亞倫說:「你們害死了耶和華的子民。」 42 會眾聚集起來反對摩西和亞倫,他們向會幕觀看,忽然有雲彩遮蓋了會幕,耶和華的榮光顯現了。 43 摩西和亞倫來到會幕前, 44 耶和華對摩西說: 45 「你們離開這些會眾,我好在頃刻之間消滅他們。」他們二人就俯伏在地。 46 摩西對亞倫說:「取香爐來,裡面放些壇上的火,添上香,趕快帶到會眾那裡為他們贖罪,因為耶和華發怒了,瘟疫已經開始。」 47 亞倫就照著摩西的吩咐取來香爐,跑到會眾當中。那時瘟疫已經在人群中蔓延起來。他就在爐中放上香為民眾贖罪。 48 他站在活人和死人中間,瘟疫就止住了。 49 除了在可拉事件中死亡的人以外,當天有一萬四千七百人死於瘟疫。 50 瘟疫止住後,亞倫便回到在會幕門口的摩西那裡。

16 Now Korach ben Yitzhar ben Kehat ben Levi, and Datan and Aviram, the Bnei Eliav, and On ben Pelet, Bnei Reuven, became insolent;

And they rose up before Moshe, with certain of the Bnei Yisroel, two hundred and fifty Nasi’ei Edah, chosen from the assembly, men of renown;

And they gathered themselves together against Moshe and against Aharon, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing Kol HaEdah are Kadoshim, every one of them, and Hashem is among them; why then lift ye up yourselves above the Kehal Hashem?

And when Moshe heard it, he fell upon his face;

And he spoke unto Korach and unto all his edah, saying, In the boker Hashem will show who are His, and who is the kadosh; and will cause him to come near unto Him: even him whom He hath chosen will He cause to come near unto Him.

This do: take you fire pans, Korach, and all his edah;

And put eish therein, put ketoret in them before Hashem tomorrow; it shall be that the man whom Hashem doth choose, he shall be haKadosh; ye take too much upon you, ye Bnei Levi.

And Moshe said unto Korach, Hear, now, ye Bnei Levi:

Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that Elohei Yisroel hath separated you from the Adat Yisroel, to bring you near to Himself to do the Avodat Mishkan Hashem, and to stand before the Edah to minister unto them?

10 And He hath brought thee near to Him, and all thy brethren the Bnei Levi with thee; and seek ye the Kehunah also?

11 For which cause both thou and all thy edah are gathered together against Hashem; and what is Aharon, that ye murmur against him?

12 And Moshe sent to call Datan and Aviram, the Bnei Eliav, which said, We will not come up.

13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of an Eretz zavach cholov udevash, to kill us in the midbar, yet thou also keep trying to dominate us?

14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into an Eretz zavach cholov udevash, or given us nachalah of sadeh and kerem; wilt thou gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.

15 And Moshe was very angry, and said unto Hashem, Respect not thou their minchah; I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I wronged one of them.

16 And Moshe said unto Korach, Be thou and all thy edah before Hashem, thou, they, and Aharon, tomorrow;

17 And take every man his fire pan, put ketoret in them, and bring ye before Hashem every man his fire pan, 250 fire pans; thou also, and Aharon, each of you his fire pan.

18 And they took every man his fire pan and put eish in them and laid ketoret thereon, and stood in the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed with Moshe and Aharon.

19 And Korach gathered kol haedah against them unto the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed; and the Kavod Hashem appeared unto Kol HaEdah.

20 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe and unto Aharon, saying,

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

22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, El Elohei HaRuchot L’Chol Basar, shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be angry with Kol HaEdah?

23 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

24 Speak unto HaEdah, saying, Get you up away from the mishkan Korach, Datan, and Aviram.

25 And Moshe rose up and went unto Datan and Aviram; and the Ziknei Yisroel followed him.

26 And he spoke unto HaEdah, saying, Move back, now, from the tents of these anashim resha’im, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their chattot.

27 So they moved back from the mishkan Korach, Datan, and Aviram, on every side; Datan and Aviram came out, and stood in the entrance of their tents, their wives, their banim, and their little ones.

28 And Moshe said, Hereby ye shall know that Hashem hath sent me to do all these ma’asim; for I have not done them of mine own will.

29 If these men die the common death of kol haAdam, or if they be visited after the visitation of kol haAdam, then Hashem hath not sent me.

30 But if Hashem creates a new thing, and haadamah open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down chayyim into Sheol; then ye shall have da’as that these men have spurned Hashem.

31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these devarim, that haadamah split asunder that was under them:

32 And ha’aretz opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, their batim (houses), all the men that were of Korach, and all their possessions.

33 They, and all that were of them, went down chayyim into Sheol, and ha’aretz closed over them; and they perished from the midst of the Kahal.

34 And Kol Yisroel that were round about them fled at the cry of them, for they said, Lest ha’aretz swallow us up also.

35 And there came out from Hashem an eish, and consumed the 250 men that offered ketoret.

36 (17:1) And Hashem spoke unto Moshe saying,

37 (17:2) Speak unto Eleazar ben Aharon HaKohen that he take up the fire pans out of the burning, and scatter thou the eish yonder; for they are set apart as kodesh.

38 (17:3) The fire pans of these chatta’im against their own nefashot, let them make them hammered-out sheets for a covering of the Mizbe’ach: for they offered them before Hashem, therefore they became kadosh; and they shall be an ot unto the Bnei Yisroel.

39 (17:4) And Eleazar HaKohen took the bronze fire pans, wherewith they that were burned had offered; and they made hammered-out sheets for an overlay of the Mizbe’ach:

40 (17:5) To be a memorial reminder unto the Bnei Yisroel, that no zar, which is not of the zera Aharon, encroach to offer ketoret before Hashem; that he be not as Korach, and as his edah, as Hashem said to him by the hand of Moshe.

41 (17:6) But the next day Kol Adat Bnei Yisroel murmured against Moshe and against Aharon, saying, Ye have killed the Am Hashem.

42 (17:7) And it came to pass, when HaEdah was gathered against Moshe and against Aharon, that they looked toward the Ohel Mo’ed; and, hinei, the Anan covered it, and the Kavod Hashem appeared.

43 (17:8) And Moshe and Aharon came before the Ohel Mo’ed.

44 (17:9) And Hashem spoke unto Moshe saying,

45 (17:10) Get you away from among this edah, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

46 (17:11) And Moshe said unto Aharon, Take a fire pan, and put eish therein from off the Mizbe’ach, and put ketoret, and go quickly unto HaEdah, and make kapporah for them; for there is Ketzef (Wrath) gone out from Hashem; the plague is begun.

47 (17:12) And Aharon took as Moshe commanded, and ran into the midst of the Kahal; and, hinei, the plague was begun among HaAm: and he offered ketoret, and made kapporah for HaAm.

48 (17:13) And he stood between the mesim and the chayyim; and the plague was stopped.

49 (17:14) Now they that were the mesim in the maggefah (plague) were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, in addition to those who were mesim by reason of Korach.

50 (17:15) And Aharon returned unto Moshe unto the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed; and the plague was stayed.