Numbers 16
Legacy Standard Bible
Korah Rises Up Against Moses
16 Now (A)Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with (B)Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took others, 2 and they rose up before Moses, [a]together with some of the sons of Israel, 250 leaders of the congregation, [b](C)those called upon by the assembly, men of renown. 3 Then they assembled together (D)against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “[c](E)You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and (F)Yahweh is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh?”
4 And Moses heard this and (G)fell on his face; 5 and he spoke to Korah and all his congregation, saying, “Tomorrow morning Yahweh will show who is His, and (H)who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even (I)the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself. 6 Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all [d]your congregation, 7 and put fire in them, and lay incense upon them in the presence of Yahweh tomorrow; and the man whom Yahweh chooses shall be the one who is holy. [e](J)You have gone far enough, you sons of Levi!”
8 Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi, 9 (K)is it [f]not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, (L)to bring you near to Himself, to perform the service of the tabernacle of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 10 and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you (M)seeking for the priesthood also? 11 Therefore you and all your congregation are gathered together (N)against Yahweh; but as for Aaron, [g]who is he that (O)you grumble against him?”
12 Then Moses sent [h]a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up. 13 Is it [i]not enough that you have brought us up out of a (P)land flowing with milk and honey (Q)to put us to death in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us? 14 Indeed, you have not brought us (R)into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of (S)fields and vineyards. Would you [j](T)put out the eyes of [k]these men? We will not come up!”
15 Then Moses became very angry and said to Yahweh, “(U)Do not regard their offering! (V)I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.” 16 And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your congregation be present before Yahweh tomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron. 17 And each of you take his firepan and put incense on [l]it, and each of you bring his censer near before Yahweh, 250 firepans; also you and Aaron shall each bring his firepan.” 18 So they each took his own censer and put fire on [m]it, and laid incense on [n]it; and they stood at the doorway of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron. 19 Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And (W)the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the congregation.
20 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 “(X)Separate yourselves from among this congregation, (Y)that I may consume them instantly.” 22 But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, (Z)God of the spirits of all flesh, (AA)when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”
23 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘(AB)Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”
25 Then Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him, 26 and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “(AC)Turn aside now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, (AD)lest you be swept away in all their sin.” 27 So they got back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; but Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the doorway of their tents, along with their wives and (AE)their sons and their little ones. 28 And Moses said, “By this you shall know that (AF)Yahweh has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not from my heart. 29 If these men die [o]the death of all men or [p]if they suffer the (AG)fate of all men, then Yahweh has not sent me. 30 But (AH)if Yahweh creates an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they (AI)go down to Sheol alive, then you will know that these men have spurned Yahweh.”
31 And it happened that as he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; 32 and (AJ)the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and (AK)all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. 33 So they and all that belonged to them went down to Sheol alive; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 Then all Israel who were around them fled at their [q]outcry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” 35 (AL)Fire also came forth from Yahweh and consumed the (AM)250 men who were bringing near the incense.
36 [r]Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the [s]blaze, and you scatter [t]the burning coals abroad; for they are holy. 38 As for the censers of these [u]men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, make them into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they brought them near before Yahweh, and they are holy; and (AN)they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.” 39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had brought near, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar, 40 as a [v]memorial to the sons of Israel that (AO)no [w]outsider who is not of the seed of Aaron should come near (AP)to burn incense before Yahweh; so that he will not become like Korah and his congregation—just as Yahweh had spoken to him by the hand of Moses.
Grumbling and Plague
41 But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel (AQ)grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the people of Yahweh.” 42 It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and (AR)the glory of Yahweh appeared. 43 Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “[x](AS)Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and (AT)make atonement for them, for (AU)wrath has gone forth from Yahweh, the plague has begun!” 47 Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. (AV)So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked. 49 (AW)But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who (AX)died on account of Korah. 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.
Footnotes
- Numbers 16:2 Lit and men from
- Numbers 16:2 Lit called ones of
- Numbers 16:3 Lit It is much for you
- Numbers 16:6 Lit his
- Numbers 16:7 Lit It is much for you
- Numbers 16:9 Or too little for you
- Numbers 16:11 Lit what
- Numbers 16:12 Lit to call
- Numbers 16:13 Lit a little thing
- Numbers 16:14 Lit bore out
- Numbers 16:14 Lit those
- Numbers 16:17 Lit them
- Numbers 16:18 Lit them
- Numbers 16:18 Lit them
- Numbers 16:29 Lit like the death
- Numbers 16:29 Lit the visitation of all men be visited upon them
- Numbers 16:34 Or voice
- Numbers 16:36 Ch 17:1 in Heb
- Numbers 16:37 Or place of burning
- Numbers 16:37 Lit the fire
- Numbers 16:38 Lit sinners against their lives
- Numbers 16:40 Or reminder
- Numbers 16:40 Lit stranger
- Numbers 16:45 Or Arise
Numbers 16
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
16 And behold Core the son of Isaar, the son of Caath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab, and Hon the son of Pheleth of the children of Ruben,
2 Rose up against Moses, and with them two hundred and fifty others of the children of Israel, leading men of the synagogue, and who in the time of assembly were called by name.
3 And when they had stood up against Moses and Aaron, they said: Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them: Why lift you up yourselves above the people of the Lord?
4 When Moses heard this, he fell flat on his face:
5 And speaking to Core and all the multitude, he said: In the morning the Lord will make known who belong to him, and the holy he will join to himself: and whom he shall choose, they shall approach to him.
6 Do this therefore: Take every man of you your censers, thou Core, and all thy company.
7 And putting fire in them to morrow, put incense upon it before the Lord: and whomsoever he shall choose, the same shall be holy: you take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
8 And he said again to Core: Hear ye sons of Levi.
9 Is it a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath spared you from all the people, and joined you to himself, that you should serve him in the service of the tabernacle, and should stand before the congregation of the people, and should minister to him?
10 Did he therefore make thee and all thy brethren the sons of Levi to approach unto him, that you should challenge to yourselves the priesthood also,
11 And that all thy company should stand against the Lord? for what is Aaron that you murmur against him?
12 Then Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab. But they answered: We will not come.
13 Is it a small matter to thee, that thou hast brought us out of a land that flowed with milk and honey, to kill us in the desert, except thou rule also like a lord over us?
14 Thou hast brought us indeed into a land that floweth with rivers of milk and honey, and hast given us possessions of fields and vineyards; wilt thou also pull out our eyes? We will not come.
15 Moses therefore being very angry, said to the Lord: Respect not their sacrifices: thou knowest that I have not taken of them so much as a young ass at any time, nor have injured any of them.
16 And he said to Core: Do thou and thy congregation stand apart before the Lord to morrow, and Aaron apart.
17 Take every one of you censers, and put incense upon them, offering to the Lord two hundred and fifty censers: let Aaron also hold his censer.
18 When they had done this, Moses and Aaron standing,
19 And had drawn up all the multitude against them to the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.
20 And the Lord speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:
21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them.
22 They fell flat on their face, and said: O most mighty, the God of the spirits of all flesh, for one man's sin shall thy wrath rage against all?
23 And the Lord said to Moses:
24 Command the whole people to separate themselves from the tents of Core and Dathan and Abiron.
25 And Moses arose, and went to Dathan and Abiron: and the ancients of Israel following him,
26 He said to the multitude: Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be involved in their sins.
27 And when they were departed from their tents round about, Dathan and Abiron coming out stood in the entry of their pavilions with their wives and children, and all the people.
28 And Moses said: By this you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all things that you see, and that I have not forged them of my own head:
29 If these men die the common death of men, and if they be visited with a plague, wherewith others also are wont to be visited, the Lord did not send me.
30 But if the Lord do a new thing, and the earth opening her mouth swallow them down, and all things that belong to them, and they go down alive into hell, you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord.
31 And immediately as he had made an end of speaking, the earth broke asunder under their feet:
32 And opening her mouth, devoured them with their tents and all their substance.
33 And they went down alive into hell the ground closing upon them, and they perished from among the people.
34 But all Israel, that was standing round about, fled at the cry of them that were perishing: saying: Lest perhaps the earth swallow us up also.
35 And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.
36 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
37 Command Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers that lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire of one side and the other: because they are sanctified
38 In the deaths of the sinners: and let him beat them into plates, and fasten them to the altar, because incense hath been offered in them to the Lord, and they are sanctified, that the children of Israel may see them for a sign and a memorial.
39 Then Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherein they had offered, whom the burning fire had devoured, and beat them into plates, fastening them to the altar:
40 That the children of Israel might have for the time to come wherewith they should be admonished, that no stranger or any one that is not of seed of Aaron should come near to offer incense to the Lord, lest he should suffer as Core suffered, and all his congregation, according as the Lord spoke to Moses.
41 The following day all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: You have killed the people of the Lord.
42 And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased,
43 Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. And when the were gone into it, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
44 And the Lord said to Moses:
45 Get you out from the midst of this multitude, this moment will I destroy them. And as they were lying on the ground,
46 Moses said to Aaron: Take the censer, and putting fire in it from the altar, put incense upon it, and go quickly to the people to pray for them: for already wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague rageth.
47 When Aaron had done this, and had run to the midst of the multitude which the burning fire was now destroying, he offered the incense:
48 And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the plague ceased.
49 And the number of them that were slain was fourteen thousand and seven hundred men, besides them that had perished in the sedition of Core.
50 And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant after the destruction was over.
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