Numbers 16:20-35

English Standard Version

²⁰ And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ^21 (A)“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them ^(B)in a moment.” ²² And they ^(C)fell on their faces and said, “O God, ^(D)the God of the spirits of all flesh, ^(E)shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?” ²³ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁴ “Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

²⁵ Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. ²⁶ And he spoke to the congregation, saying, ^(F)“Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins.” ²⁷ So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood ^(G)at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones. ²⁸ And Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been ^(H)of my own accord. ²⁹ If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, ^(I)then the Lord has not sent me. ³⁰ But if the Lord creates something new, and ^(J)the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they ^(K)go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.”

^31 (L)And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. ³² And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and ^(M)all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. ³³ So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and ^(N)they perished from the midst of the assembly. ³⁴ And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” ³⁵ And ^(O)fire came out from the Lord and consumed ^(P)the 250 men offering the incense.