Numbers 16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 16
Rebellion of Korah. 1 [a]Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On, son of Peleth,[b] son of Reuben took 2 two hundred and fifty Israelites who were leaders in the community, members of the council and men of note, and confronted Moses. 3 Holding an assembly against Moses and Aaron, they said,(A) “You go too far! The whole community, all of them, are holy; the Lord is in their midst. Why then should you set yourselves over the Lord’s assembly?”
4 When Moses heard this, he fell prostrate. 5 Then he said to Korah and to all his faction, “May the Lord make known tomorrow morning who belongs to him and who is the holy one and whom he will have draw near to him! The one whom he chooses, he will have draw near to him. 6 Do this: take your censers, Korah and all his faction, 7 and put fire in them and place incense in them before the Lord tomorrow. He whom the Lord then chooses is the holy one. You Levites go too far!”
8 Moses also said to Korah, “Hear, now, you Levites! 9 (B)Are you not satisfied that the God of Israel has singled you out from the community of Israel, to have you draw near him to maintain the Lord’s tabernacle, and to attend upon the community and to serve them? 10 He has allowed you and your Levite kinsmen with you to approach him, and yet you seek the priesthood too. 11 It is therefore against the Lord that you and all your faction are conspiring. As for Aaron, what has he done that you should grumble against him?”
Rebellion of Dathan and Abiram. 12 Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, but they answered, “We will not go.[c] 13 Are you not satisfied that you have brought us here from a land flowing with milk and honey to have us perish in the wilderness, that now you must also lord it over us? 14 Far from bringing us to a land flowing with milk and honey, or giving us fields and vineyards for our inheritance, will you gouge out our eyes?[d] No, we will not go.”
15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Pay no attention to their offering. I have never taken a single donkey from them, nor have I wronged any one of them.”(C)
Korah. 16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your faction shall appear before the Lord tomorrow—you and they and Aaron too. 17 Then each of you take his own censer, put incense in it, and present it before the Lord, two hundred and fifty censers; and you and Aaron, each with his own censer, do the same.” 18 So each of them took their censers, and laying incense on the fire they had put in them, they took their stand by the entrance of the tent of meeting along with Moses and Aaron. 19 Then, when Korah had assembled all the community against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the entire community, 20 and the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 21 Stand apart from this community, that I may consume them at once. 22 But they fell prostrate and exclaimed, “O God, God of the spirits of all living creatures, if one man sins will you be angry with the whole community?” 23 The Lord answered Moses: 24 Speak to the community and tell them: Withdraw from the area around the tent[e] of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.
Punishment of Dathan and Abiram. 25 Moses, followed by the elders of Israel, arose and went to Dathan and Abiram.[f] 26 Then he spoke to the community, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men and do not touch anything that is theirs: otherwise you too will be swept away because of all their sins.” 27 So they withdrew from the area around the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. When Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing at the entrance of their tents with their wives, their children, and their little ones, 28 Moses said, “This is how you shall know that the Lord sent me to do all I have done, and that it was not of my own devising: 29 if these die an ordinary death, merely suffering the fate common to all humanity, the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord makes a chasm, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them with all belonging to them, and they go down alive to Sheol,[g] then you will know that these men have spurned the Lord.” 31 (D)No sooner had he finished saying all this than the ground beneath them split open, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their families and all of Korah’s people[h] with all their possessions. 33 They went down alive to Sheol with all belonging to them; the earth closed over them, and they disappeared from the assembly. 34 But all the Israelites near them fled at their shrieks, saying, “The earth might swallow us too!”
Punishment of Korah. 35 And fire from the Lord came forth which consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.
Footnotes
- 16:1–3 The evidence seems to show that accounts of two, if not more, distinct rebellions have been combined in this chapter. The most obvious are the rebellions of Korah and his faction (Nm 27:3) and of Dathan and Abiram (Dt 11:6); cf. Ps 106. The present account combines both events into one narrative; but even here it is rather easy to separate the two. The rebellion of the Reubenites, Dathan and Abiram, was more political in character, against Moses alone as the civil leader (cf. v. 13); these rebels were punished by being swallowed alive in an earthquake. The rebellion of Korah was more religious in character, directed primarily against the religious leadership of Aaron (though in vv. 19–22 it is Korah and the whole community against both Moses and Aaron). About two hundred and fifty malcontents joined Korah’s faction, and they are punished by fire. The parts of the present section which refer to the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram are vv. 12–15 and vv. 25–34 of chap. 16; the rest of chap. 16 and all of chap. 17 chiefly concern the rebellion of Korah.
- 16:1 The Reubenites…son of Peleth: some suggest on the basis of 26:5, 8 and Gn 46:9 reading instead of the traditional Hebrew text: “son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, son of Pallu, son of Reuben.”
- 16:12 We will not go: to appear before Moses’ “tribunal.”
- 16:14 Gouge out our eyes: blind us to the real state of affairs.
- 16:24 Withdraw from the area around the tent: the word for “tent,” mishkan, here and in v. 27, is otherwise used in the singular only for the tent of meeting, suggesting possibly the erection of a rival sanctuary by the rebels. Note further, as an indication of the fact that various accounts of rebellion have been fused here, that in v. 19 the entire community had been assembled by Korah at the tent of meeting.
- 16:25 Since Dathan and Abiram had refused to go to Moses (vv. 12–14), he, with the elders as witnesses, was obliged to go to their tents.
- 16:30 Sheol: see note on Ps 6:6.
- 16:32 And all of Korah’s people: the implication of this secondary addition to the text is, on the one hand, that Korah met his death elsewhere, presumably with the two hundred and fifty offering incense (vv. 16–17, 35); or, on the other hand, he died along with Dathan and Abiram in the splitting of the earth.
Números 16
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
La rebelión de Coré
16 Y se rebeló Coré, hijo de Izhar(A), hijo de Coat, hijo de Leví, con Datán y Abiram, hijos de Eliab(B), y On, hijo de Pelet, hijos de Rubén, 2 y se alzaron contra Moisés, junto con algunos de los israelitas, 250 jefes de la congregación, escogidos en la asamblea(C), hombres de renombre. 3 Y se juntaron contra Moisés y Aarón(D), y les dijeron: «¡Basta ya de ustedes(E)! Porque toda la congregación, todos ellos son santos, y el Señor está en medio de ellos(F). ¿Por qué, entonces, ustedes se levantan por encima de la asamblea del Señor?».
4 Cuando Moisés escuchó esto, cayó sobre su rostro(G); 5 y habló a Coré y a todo su grupo y dijo: «Mañana temprano el Señor mostrará quién es de Él, y quién es santo, y lo acercará a Él(H); aquel a quien Él escoja(I), lo acercará a Él. 6 Hagan esto, Coré y todo el grupo suyo: tomen incensarios para ustedes, 7 y pongan fuego en ellos, y echen incienso sobre ellos mañana en la presencia del Señor; y el hombre a quien el Señor escoja será el que es santo. ¡Basta ya de ustedes(J), hijos de Leví!».
8 Entonces Moisés dijo a Coré: «Oigan ahora, hijos de Leví. 9 ¿No les es suficiente(K) que el Dios de Israel los haya separado del resto de la congregación de Israel, para acercarlos a Él, a fin de cumplir el ministerio del tabernáculo del Señor, y para estar ante la congregación para ministrarles(L), 10 y que se te ha acercado a ti, Coré, y a todos tus hermanos, hijos de Leví, contigo? ¿Y pretenden también el sacerdocio(M)? 11 Por tanto, tú y toda tu compañía se han juntado contra el Señor; pues en cuanto a Aarón, ¿quién es él para que murmuren(N) contra él(O)?».
12 Entonces Moisés mandó llamar a Datán y a Abiram, hijos de Eliab, pero ellos dijeron: «No iremos. 13 ¿No es suficiente que nos hayas sacado de una tierra que mana leche y miel(P) para que muramos en el desierto(Q), sino que también quieras enseñorearte sobre nosotros? 14 En verdad, tú no nos has traído a una tierra que mana leche y miel(R), ni nos has dado herencia de campos y viñas(S). ¿Les sacarías los ojos a estos hombres(T)? ¡No iremos!».
15 Moisés se enojó mucho y dijo al Señor: «¡No aceptes su ofrenda(U)! No he tomado de ellos ni un solo asno(V), ni le he hecho daño a ninguno de ellos». 16 Y dijo Moisés a Coré: «Tú y toda tu compañía preséntense mañana delante del Señor; tú, ellos y Aarón. 17 Cada uno de ustedes tome su incensario y ponga incienso en él, y cada uno de ustedes traiga su incensario delante del Señor, 250 incensarios; tú también, y Aarón, cada uno traiga su incensario». 18 Y cada uno tomó su incensario y puso fuego en él, y echó incienso en él; y se pusieron a la puerta de la tienda de reunión con Moisés y Aarón. 19 Así reunió Coré a toda la congregación en contra de ellos a la puerta de la tienda de reunión, y la gloria del Señor apareció a toda la congregación(W).
Castigo de Coré, sus compañeros y sus familias
20 Entonces el Señor habló a Moisés y a Aarón: 21 «Apártense de entre esta congregación, para que Yo la destruya(X) en un instante(Y)». 22 Pero ellos cayeron sobre sus rostros, y dijeron: «Oh Dios, Dios de los espíritus de toda carne(Z), cuando un hombre peque, ¿te enojarás con toda la congregación(AA)?». 23 Entonces respondió el Señor a Moisés: 24 «Habla a la congregación, y diles: “Aléjense(AB) de los alrededores de las tiendas de Coré, Datán y Abiram”».
25 Entonces se levantó Moisés y fue a Datán y a Abiram, y le seguían los ancianos de Israel, 26 y habló a la congregación: «Apártense(AC) ahora de las tiendas de estos malvados, y no toquen nada que les pertenezca, no sea que perezcan(AD) con todo su pecado».
27 Se retiraron, pues, de los alrededores de las tiendas de Coré, Datán y Abiram; y Datán y Abiram salieron y se pusieron a la puerta de sus tiendas, junto con sus mujeres, sus hijos(AE) y sus pequeños. 28 Y Moisés dijo: «En esto conocerán que el Señor me ha enviado(AF) para hacer todas estas obras, y que no es iniciativa mía. 29 Si estos mueren como mueren todos los hombres(AG) o si sufren la suerte de todos los hombres, entonces el Señor no me envió. 30 Pero si el Señor hace algo enteramente nuevo(AH) y la tierra abre su boca y los traga con todo lo que les pertenece, y descienden vivos al Seol[a](AI), entonces sabrán que estos hombres han despreciado al Señor».
31 Y aconteció que cuando terminó de hablar todas estas palabras, la tierra debajo de ellos se partió, 32 y la tierra abrió su boca y se los tragó, a ellos(AJ) y a sus casas y a todos los hombres de Coré(AK) con todos sus bienes. 33 Ellos y todo lo que les pertenecía descendieron vivos al Seol; y la tierra los cubrió y perecieron de en medio de la asamblea. 34 Todos los israelitas que estaban alrededor de ellos huyeron a sus gritos, pues decían: «¡No sea que la tierra nos trague!». 35 Salió también fuego del Señor y consumió(AL) a los 250 hombres(AM) que ofrecían el incienso.
36 [b]Entonces el Señor habló a Moisés y dijo: 37 «Dile a Eleazar, hijo del sacerdote Aarón, que levante los incensarios de en medio de la hoguera, pues son santos; y esparce allí las brasas. 38 En cuanto a los incensarios de estos que han pecado a costa de sus vidas, que se hagan de ellos láminas batidas para cubrir el altar, puesto que los presentaron ante el Señor y son santos; y serán por señal a los israelitas(AN)». 39 El sacerdote Eleazar tomó los incensarios de bronce que habían presentado los que fueron quemados, y a golpe de martillo los hicieron una cubierta para el altar, 40 como recordatorio para los israelitas de que ningún laico[c], que no fuera descendiente de Aarón, debería acercarse(AO) a quemar incienso delante del Señor(AP), para que no le sucediera como a Coré y a su grupo, tal como el Señor se lo había dicho por medio de Moisés.
Plaga mortal por causa de las quejas del pueblo
41 Pero al día siguiente, toda la congregación de los israelitas murmuró contra Moisés y Aarón(AQ), diciendo: «Ustedes son los que han sido la causa de la muerte del pueblo del Señor». 42 Sucedió, sin embargo, que cuando la congregación se había juntado contra Moisés y Aarón, se volvieron hacia la tienda de reunión y vieron que la nube la cubría, y la gloria del Señor apareció(AR). 43 Entonces Moisés y Aarón fueron al frente de la tienda de reunión, 44 y el Señor habló a Moisés y dijo: 45 «Apártense de en medio de esta congregación, para que Yo la destruya en un instante(AS)». Entonces ellos cayeron sobre sus rostros. 46 Y Moisés le dijo a Aarón: «Toma tu incensario y pon en él fuego del altar, y echa incienso en él; tráelo entonces pronto a la congregación y haz expiación(AT) por ellos, porque la ira(AU) ha salido de parte del Señor. ¡La plaga ha comenzado!». 47 Aarón tomó el incensario como Moisés le había dicho, y corrió hacia el medio de la asamblea, pues vio que la plaga ya había comenzado entre el pueblo. Y echó el incienso e hizo expiación(AV) por el pueblo. 48 Entonces se colocó entre los muertos y los vivos, y la plaga se detuvo. 49 Y los que murieron a causa de la plaga(AW) fueron 14,700 sin contar los que murieron por causa de Coré(AX). 50 Después Aarón regresó a Moisés a la puerta de la tienda de reunión, pues la plaga había sido detenida.
Numbers 16
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Korah Incites Rebellion
16 Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi,(A) with Dathan and Abiram,(B) sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took 2 250 prominent Israelite men who were leaders of the community and representatives in the assembly, and they rebelled against Moses. 3 They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have gone too far![a] Everyone in the entire community is holy, and the Lord is among them.(C) Why then do you exalt yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”
4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. 5 Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will reveal who belongs to Him, who is set apart, and the one He will let come near(D) Him. He will let the one He chooses come near Him. 6 Korah, you and all your followers are to do this: take firepans, and tomorrow 7 place fire in them and put incense on them before the Lord.(E) Then the man the Lord chooses will be the one who is set apart.(F) It is you Levites who have gone too far!”[b]
8 Moses also told Korah, “Now listen, Levites! 9 Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelite community to bring you near to Himself, to perform the work at the Lord’s tabernacle, and to stand before the community to minister to them? 10 He has brought you near, and all your fellow Levites who are with you, but you are seeking the priesthood as well. 11 Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the Lord!(G) As for Aaron, who is he[c] that you should complain about him?”
12 Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come! 13 Is it not enough that you brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Do you also have to appoint yourself as ruler over us? 14 Furthermore, you didn’t bring us to a land flowing with milk and honey or give us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come!”
15 Then Moses became angry and said to the Lord, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.” 16 So Moses told Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow—you, they, and Aaron. 17 Each of you is to take his firepan, place incense on it, and present his firepan before the Lord—250 firepans. You and Aaron are each to present your firepan also.”
18 Each man took his firepan, placed fire in it, put incense on it, and stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting along with Moses and Aaron. 19 After Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community. 20 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Separate yourselves from this community so I may consume them instantly.”(H)
22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “God, God of the spirits[d](I) of all flesh, when one man sins, will You vent Your wrath on the whole community?”(J)
23 The Lord replied to Moses, 24 “Tell the community: Get away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
25 Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 He warned the community, “Get away now from the tents of these wicked men. Don’t touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.” 27 So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Meanwhile, Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their tents with their wives, children, and infants.
28 Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord sent me(K) to do all these things and that it was not of my own will: 29 If these men die naturally as all people would, and suffer the fate of all, then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord brings about something unprecedented, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them along with all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have despised the Lord.”
31 Just as he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split open. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah’s people,(L) and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into Sheol with all that belonged to them. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly. 34 At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled because they thought, “The earth may swallow us too!” 35 Fire also came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were presenting the incense.(M)
36 [e]Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 37 “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the firepans from the burning debris, because they are holy, and scatter the fire far away. 38 As for the firepans of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, make them into hammered sheets as plating for the altar, for they presented them before the Lord, and the firepans are holy. They will be a sign to the Israelites.”
39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze firepans that those who were burned had presented, and they were hammered into plating for the altar, 40 just as the Lord commanded him through Moses. It was to be a reminder for the Israelites that no unauthorized person outside the lineage of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the Lord(N) and become like Korah and his followers.
41 The next day the entire Israelite community complained about Moses and Aaron,(O) saying, “You have killed the Lord’s people!” 42 When the community assembled against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the tent of meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the Lord’s glory appeared.
43 Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the Lord said to Moses, 45 “Get away from this community so that I may consume them instantly.”(P) But they fell facedown.
46 Then Moses told Aaron, “Take your firepan, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the community and make atonement for them, because wrath has come from the Lord; the plague has begun.” 47 So Aaron took his firepan as Moses had ordered, ran into the middle of the assembly, and saw that the plague had begun among the people. After he added incense, he made atonement for the people. 48 He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was halted. 49 But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who died because of the Korah incident. 50 Aaron then returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, since the plague had been halted.(Q)
Footnotes
- Numbers 16:3 Lit Enough of you
- Numbers 16:7 Lit Enough of you, sons of Levi
- Numbers 16:11 Or Aaron, what has he done
- Numbers 16:22 Or breath; Nm 27:16
- Numbers 16:36 Nm 17:1 in Hb
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