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Numbers 16
New International Version
Numbers 16
New International Version
Korah, Dathan and Abiram
16 Korah(A) son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram(B), sons of Eliab,(C) and On son of Peleth—became insolent[a] 2 and rose up against Moses.(D) With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.(E) 3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron(F) and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy,(G) every one of them, and the Lord is with them.(H) Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”(I)
4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.(J) 5 Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy,(K) and he will have that person come near him.(L) The man he chooses(M) he will cause to come near him. 6 You, Korah, and all your followers(N) are to do this: Take censers(O) 7 and tomorrow put burning coals(P) and incense(Q) in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses(R) will be the one who is holy.(S) You Levites have gone too far!”
8 Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! 9 Isn’t it enough(T) for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them?(U) 10 He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.(V) 11 It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble(W) against him?(X)”
12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram,(Y) the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come!(Z) 13 Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey(AA) to kill us in the wilderness?(AB) And now you also want to lord it over us!(AC) 14 Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey(AD) or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards.(AE) Do you want to treat these men like slaves[b]?(AF) No, we will not come!(AG)”
15 Then Moses became very angry(AH) and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey(AI) from them, nor have I wronged any of them.”
16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow—you and they and Aaron.(AJ) 17 Each man is to take his censer and put incense in it—250 censers in all—and present it before the Lord. You and Aaron are to present your censers also.(AK)” 18 So each of them took his censer,(AL) put burning coals and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 19 When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them(AM) at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord(AN) appeared to the entire assembly. 20 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Separate yourselves(AO) from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”(AP)
22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown(AQ) and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things,(AR) will you be angry with the entire assembly(AS) when only one man sins?”(AT)
23 Then the Lord said to Moses, 24 “Say to the assembly, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”
25 Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel(AU) followed him. 26 He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men!(AV) Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away(AW) because of all their sins.(AX)” 27 So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.(AY) Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children(AZ) and little ones at the entrances to their tents.(BA)
28 Then Moses said, “This is how you will know(BB) that the Lord has sent me(BC) 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.(BD) 30 But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth(BE) and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead,(BF) then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.(BG)”
31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart(BH) 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them(BI) and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead,(BJ) with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”
35 And fire came out from the Lord(BK) and consumed(BL) the 250 men who were offering the incense.
36 The Lord said to Moses, 37 “Tell Eleazar(BM) son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers(BN) from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy— 38 the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives.(BO) Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar,(BP) for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign(BQ) to the Israelites.”
39 So Eleazar the priest(BR) collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death,(BS) and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, 40 as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense(BT) before the Lord,(BU) or he would become like Korah and his followers.(BV)
41 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.
42 But when the assembly gathered in opposition(BW) to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord(BX) appeared. 43 Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the Lord said to Moses, 45 “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end(BY) to them at once.” And they fell facedown.
46 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer(BZ) and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly(CA) to make atonement(CB) for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord;(CC) the plague(CD) has started.” 47 So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people,(CE) but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.(CF) 49 But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.(CG) 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.[c]
Footnotes
- Numbers 16:1 Or Peleth—took men
- Numbers 16:14 Or to deceive these men; Hebrew Will you gouge out the eyes of these men
- Numbers 16:50 In Hebrew texts 16:36-50 is numbered 17:1-15.
Numbers 16
New King James Version
Numbers 16
New King James Version
Rebellion Against Moses and Aaron
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 men; 2 and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, (C)representatives of the congregation, men of renown. 3 (D)They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You [a]take too much upon yourselves, for (E)all the congregation is holy, every one of them, (F)and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”
4 So when Moses heard it, he (G)fell on his face; 5 and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is (H)His and who is (I)holy,[b] and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to (J)come near to Him. 6 Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company; 7 put fire in them and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!”
8 Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi: 9 Is it (K)a small thing to you that the God of Israel has (L)separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; 10 and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also? 11 Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. (M)And what is Aaron that you complain against him?”
12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up! 13 Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of (N)a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should (O)keep acting like a prince over us? 14 Moreover (P)you have not brought us into (Q)a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”
15 Then Moses was very angry, and said to the Lord, (R)“Do not [c]respect their offering. (S)I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them.”
16 And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company be present (T)before the Lord—you and they, as well as Aaron. 17 Let each take his censer and put incense in it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty censers; both you and Aaron, each with his censer.” 18 So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then (U)the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.
20 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 (V)“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may (W)consume them in a moment.”
22 Then they (X)fell[d] on their faces, and said, “O God, (Y)the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the (Z)congregation?”
23 So the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents 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, (AA)“Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.” 27 So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little (AB)children.
28 And Moses said: (AC)“By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them (AD)of my own will. 29 If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are (AE)visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord creates (AF)a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they (AG)go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”
31 (AH)Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and (AI)all the men with Korah, with all their goods. 33 So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34 Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!”
35 And (AJ)a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.
36 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 37 “Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to pick up the censers out of the blaze, for (AK)they are holy, and scatter the fire some distance away. 38 The censers of (AL)these men who sinned [e]against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before the Lord, therefore they are holy; (AM)and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.” 39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned up had presented, and they were hammered out as a covering on the altar, 40 to be a [f]memorial to the children of Israel (AN)that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the Lord had said to him through Moses.
Complaints of the People
41 On the next day (AO)all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” 42 Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly (AP)the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. 43 Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.
44 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”
And they fell on their faces.
46 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make [g]atonement for them; (AQ)for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.” 47 Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living; so (AR)the plague was stopped. 49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident. 50 So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.
Footnotes
- Numbers 16:3 assume too much for
- Numbers 16:5 set aside for His use only
- Numbers 16:15 graciously regard
- Numbers 16:22 prostrated themselves
- Numbers 16:38 Or at the cost of their own lives
- Numbers 16:40 reminder
- Numbers 16:46 Lit. covering
Números 16
Palabra de Dios para Todos
Números 16
Palabra de Dios para Todos
Coré y otros jefes se rebelan
16 Coré hijo de Izar, nieto de Coat y bisnieto de Leví, junto con unos descendientes de Rubén llamados Datán y Abirán hijos de Eliab y On hijo de Pélet 2 se rebelaron contra Moisés. Contaban con el respaldo de 250 israelitas. Todos ellos eran gente respetable, jefes que la comunidad israelita había elegido. 3 Se reunieron en contra de Moisés y Aarón y les dijeron:
—¡Ustedes han ido muy lejos! Toda la comunidad, todo el pueblo es sagrado y el SEÑOR está con ellos, ¿por qué se levantan ustedes como líderes del pueblo del SEÑOR?
4 Cuando Moisés los escuchó, se tiró al suelo rostro en tierra, 5 y luego les dijo a Coré y a sus seguidores:
—Mañana al amanecer, el SEÑOR hará saber quién le pertenece y quién es sagrado. Él declarará quién puede acercarse a él y a quién le permitirá estar junto a él. 6 Coré, esto es lo que harán tú y tus seguidores: traigan sus incensarios 7 y pónganles fuego e incienso ante el SEÑOR mañana. Entonces el hombre consagrado será el que el SEÑOR elija. ¡Son ustedes los que han ido muy lejos, hijos de Leví!
8 Luego Moisés le dijo a Coré:
—Ahora escuchen, hijos de Leví: 9 ¿No fue suficiente para ustedes que el Dios de Israel los haya apartado de la comunidad de Israel y les haya permitido acercársele para que trabajen en la Carpa Sagrada del SEÑOR y estén ante la comunidad para servirle? 10 Dios mismo los ha colocado a su lado a ustedes y a todos los levitas, ¿y aun así también ambicionan el sacerdocio? 11 Lo que sucede en realidad es que tú, Coré, y tus seguidores, se están rebelando contra el SEÑOR porque ¿quién es Aarón para que se quejen en contra de él?
12 Luego Moisés mandó llamar a Datán y Abirán, hijos de Eliab, pero ellos dijeron:
—¡No vamos a ir a verte! 13 ¿No es suficiente que nos hayas sacado de una tierra que rebosa de leche y de miel para hacernos morir en el desierto? Ahora también quieres ser nuestro gobernante. 14 Además, tú no nos has llevado a ninguna tierra que rebosa de leche y de miel ni nos has dado campos ni viñedos. ¿Quieres engañar a gente como nosotros? ¡No, no vamos a ir a verte!
15 Entonces Moisés se enojó mucho y le dijo al SEÑOR:
—¡No aceptes su ofrenda! No les he quitado a ellos ni un asno ni les he hecho nada malo.
16 Luego Moisés le dijo a Coré:
—Tú y todos tus seguidores deben presentarse mañana ante el SEÑOR. Aarón también se presentará. 17 Cada uno de ustedes traiga su incensario y ponga incienso en él. También tú y Aarón deben traer sus incensarios y colocarlos ante el SEÑOR, junto con los otros 250 incensarios.
18 Entonces cada uno de ellos tomó su incensario, le puso brasa e incienso y se colocó a la entrada de la carpa del encuentro junto a Moisés y Aarón. 19 Coré reunió a toda la comunidad en contra de ellos a la entrada de la carpa del encuentro. Entonces la gloria del SEÑOR apareció a toda la comunidad 20 y el SEÑOR les dijo a Moisés y Aarón:
21 —Apártense de esa comunidad porque la voy a destruir en un instante.
22 Ellos se postraron rostro en tierra y dijeron:
—Oh Dios, tú que eres Dios de los espíritus de toda la humanidad,[a] un solo hombre ha pecado, ¿y te vas a enojar con toda la comunidad?
23 Entonces el SEÑOR le dijo a Moisés:
24 —Dile a toda la comunidad: “Aléjense de las carpas de Coré, Datán y Abirán”.
25 Moisés se levantó, seguido por los ancianos líderes de Israel, y fue a donde estaban Datán y Abirán. 26 Moisés le dijo a la comunidad:
—Aléjense de las carpas de estos perversos y no toquen nada que sea de ellos, no vaya a ser que también ustedes mueran por el pecado de ellos. 27 La gente se alejó de las carpas de Coré, Datán y Abirán. Datán y Abirán salieron al frente de sus carpas con sus esposas, niños y bebés.
28 Moisés dijo:
—Con esto les voy a probar a ustedes que todo lo que hago es por orden del SEÑOR y no por mi propia cuenta: 29 Si esta gente muere como normalmente muere todo el mundo, de muerte natural, es que el SEÑOR no me ha mandado, 30 pero si el SEÑOR hace algo fuera de lo normal y la tierra se abre y se los traga a ellos con todo lo que tienen, si son enterrados vivos, entonces es que estos hombres han ofendido al SEÑOR.
31 Apenas Moisés terminó de decir esto, la tierra se abrió debajo de esa gente 32 y se tragó a todos los que se habían unido a Coré, junto con sus familias y posesiones. 33 Todos ellos cayeron al fondo de la tierra, vivos y con sus posesiones, y luego la tierra volvió a cerrarse. De esa forma fueron eliminados de la comunidad.
34 Todos los israelitas que estaban cerca de ellos corrieron diciendo: «¡No vaya a ser que la tierra nos trague a nosotros también!» 35 Enseguida el SEÑOR envió fuego y destruyó a los 250 hombres que ofrecieron incienso.
36 Entonces el SEÑOR le dijo a Moisés: 37 «Dile a Eleazar hijo del sacerdote Aarón, que debe remover los incensarios de los restos del incendio. Que arroje lejos las brasas que aun haya en ellos porque estos quedaron consagrados. 38 Retira los incensarios de los que murieron por haber pecado, y conviértelos en láminas para cubrir el altar, porque ellos los trajeron ante el SEÑOR y eso hizo que los incensarios quedaran consagrados. Las láminas servirán de advertencia a los israelitas».
39 Entonces el sacerdote Eleazar tomó los incensarios de cobre que habían ofrecido los que murieron por el fuego, y los convirtió en láminas para recubrir el altar, 40 tal como el SEÑOR le había ordenado por medio de Moisés. Esto se hizo para advertirles a los israelitas que nadie que no fuera de la familia de Aarón, podía acercarse al altar para quemar incienso ante el SEÑOR, pues de lo contrario le podía pasar lo mismo que les sucedió a Coré y a sus seguidores.
41 Al día siguiente toda la comunidad de los israelitas empezó a hablar mal de Moisés y de Aarón. Ellos decían:
—Ustedes están dando muerte al pueblo del SEÑOR.
42 La comunidad se estaba amotinando en contra de Moisés y Aarón, así que ellos se dirigieron hacia la carpa del encuentro. De pronto, la nube cubrió la carpa y se apareció la gloria del SEÑOR. 43 Enseguida Moisés y Aarón se colocaron frente a la carpa del encuentro 44 y el SEÑOR le dijo a Moisés:
45 —¡Apártate de esta comunidad que la voy a destruir ya mismo!
Entonces ellos se postraron rostro en tierra 46 y Moisés le dijo a Aarón:
—Toma el incensario, ponle fuego del altar, échale incienso y ve rápidamente a la comunidad y purifícala porque el SEÑOR está enojado con ellos y la plaga ha comenzado.
47 Así que Aarón tomó el incensario como Moisés le dijo, corrió entre la gente y vio que la plaga había comenzado entre ellos. Aarón puso incienso en el incensario e hizo purificación a favor del pueblo. 48 Se colocó entre vivos y muertos, y la plaga se detuvo. 49 Los que murieron por la plaga fueron 14 700, además de los que habían muerto antes en la rebelión de Coré. 50 Cuando terminó la plaga, Aarón volvió a la entrada de la carpa del encuentro, donde estaba Moisés.
Footnotes
- 16:22 Oh Dios […] humanidad Esta expresión hace referencia a que Dios conoce las mentes de la gente. O Dios que da aliento a toda la gente, es decir que es el único que determina quién vive o muere. De esta forma, no castiga a los inocentes junto con los malvados.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Palabra de Dios para Todos (PDT)
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