³⁶ So the men Moses had sent^(A) to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble^(B) against him by spreading a bad report^(C) about it— ³⁷ these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report^(D) about the land were struck down and died of a plague^(E) before the Lord. ³⁸ Of the men who went to explore the land,^(F) only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.^(G)

²⁷ So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.^(A) Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children^(B) and little ones at the entrances to their tents.^(C)

²⁸ Then Moses said, “This is how you will know^(D) that the Lord has sent me^(E) to do all these things and that it was not my idea: ²⁹ If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me.^{(F) 30} But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth^(G) and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead,^(H) then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.^(I)”

³¹ As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart^{(J) 32} and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them^(K) and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions.

³⁵ And fire came out from the Lord^(A) and consumed^(B) the 250 men who were offering the incense.

⁴⁹ But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.^(A)