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Numbers 16
GOD’S WORD Translation

Korah’s Rebellion

16 Korah (son of Izhar), Dathan and Abiram (sons of Eliab), and On (son of Peleth) dared to challenge Moses.[a] (Korah was a descendant of Kohath and Levi. Dathan, Abiram, and On were descendants of Reuben.) 2 These four men were joined by 250 Israelite men, well-known leaders of the community, chosen by the assembly. 3 They came together to confront Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You’ve gone far enough! Everyone in the whole community is holy, and the Lord is among them. Why do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

4 As soon as Moses heard this, he bowed with his face touching the ground. 5 Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him, who is holy, and who it is that he will allow to come near him. Only the person the Lord chooses will be allowed to come near him. 6 Korah, you and all your followers must do this tomorrow: Take incense burners, 7 and put burning coals and incense in them in the Lord’s presence. Then the Lord will choose the man who is holy. You’ve gone far enough!”

8 Moses also said to Korah, “Listen, you Levites! 9 Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the community of Israel? The Lord has brought you near himself to do the work for his tent and stand in front of the community to serve them. 10 He has brought you and all the other Levites near himself, but now you demand to be priests. 11 So you and all your followers have joined forces against the Lord! Who is Aaron that you should complain about him?”

12 Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab. But they said, “We won’t come! 13 Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey only to kill us in the desert? Do you also have to order us around? 14 Certainly you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us any fields and vineyards to own. Do you think you can still pull the wool over our eyes? We won’t come.”

15 Moses became angry and said to the Lord, “Don’t accept their offering. I haven’t taken anything from them, not even a donkey. And I haven’t mistreated any of them.”

16 Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow you and all your followers must come into the Lord’s presence. Aaron will also be there with you. 17 Each man will take his incense burner and put incense in it. They will offer all 250 incense burners to the Lord. Then you and Aaron offer your incense burners.”

18 So each man took his incense burner, 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—those who opposed Moses and Aaron—at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole group.

20 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Move away from these men, and I’ll destroy them in an instant.” 22 Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground and said, “O God, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone! If one man sins, will you be angry with the whole community?”

23 Then the Lord said to Moses, 24 “Tell the community: Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

25 Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the leaders of Israel followed him. 26 He said to the community, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men. Don’t touch anything that belongs to them, or you’ll be swept away because of all their sins.” 27 So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children.

28 Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord sent me to do all these things and that it wasn’t my idea: 29 If these men die like all other people—if they die a natural death—then the Lord hasn’t sent me. 30 But if the Lord does something totally new—if the ground opens up, swallows them and everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive to their graves—then you’ll know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.”

31 As soon as he had finished saying all this, the ground under them split, 32 and the earth opened up to swallow them, their families, the followers of Korah, and all their property. 33 They went down alive to their graves with everything that belonged to them. The ground covered them, and so they disappeared from the assembly. 34 All the Israelites around them ran away when they heard their screams. They thought the ground would swallow them, too.

35 Fire came from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering incense.[b]

36 Then the Lord said to Moses, 37 “Tell Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, to take the incense burners out of the fire and scatter the coals and incense somewhere else, because the incense burners have become holy. 38 The incense burners of these men who sinned and lost their lives are holy, because they were offered to the Lord. Hammer them into thin metal sheets to cover the altar. This will be a sign to the Israelites.”

39 So the priest Eleazar took the bronze incense burners which had been brought by those who had been burned to death. The incense burners were then hammered into thin metal sheets to cover the altar, 40 following the command that the Lord had given through Moses. The bronze-covered altar will remind Israel that no one but a descendant of Aaron can come near to burn incense to the Lord. Everyone else will die like Korah and his followers.

41 The next day the whole community of Israel complained to Moses and Aaron. They said, “You have killed the Lord’s people.” 42 The community came together to confront Moses and Aaron. When they turned toward the tent of meeting, they saw the smoke covering it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

43 Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting. 44 The Lord said to Moses, 45 “Get away from these people, and let me destroy them in an instant!” Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground.

46 Moses said to Aaron, “Take your incense burner, put burning coals from the altar and incense in it, and go quickly into the community to make peace with the Lord for the people. The Lord is showing his anger; a plague has started.”

47 Aaron took his incense burner, as Moses told him, and ran into the middle of the assembly, because the plague had already begun among the people. He put incense on the incense burner to make peace with the Lord for the people. 48 He stood between those who had died and those who were still alive, and the plague stopped. 49 Still, 14,700 died from the plague in addition to those who had died because of Korah. 50 By the time Aaron came back to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the plague had stopped.

Footnotes

  1. 16:1 The beginning of verse 2 (in Hebrew) has been placed in verse 1 to express the complex Hebrew sentence structure more clearly in English.
  2. 16:35 Numbers 16:36–50 in English Bibles is Numbers 17:1–15 in the Hebrew Bible.
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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

  1. Numbers 16:2 Lit and men from
  2. Numbers 16:2 Lit called ones of
  3. Numbers 16:3 Lit It is much for you
  4. Numbers 16:6 Lit his
  5. Numbers 16:7 Lit It is much for you
  6. Numbers 16:9 Or too little for you
  7. Numbers 16:11 Lit what
  8. Numbers 16:12 Lit to call
  9. Numbers 16:13 Lit a little thing
  10. Numbers 16:14 Lit bore out
  11. Numbers 16:14 Lit those
  12. Numbers 16:17 Lit them
  13. Numbers 16:18 Lit them
  14. Numbers 16:18 Lit them
  15. Numbers 16:29 Lit like the death
  16. Numbers 16:29 Lit the visitation of all men be visited upon them
  17. Numbers 16:34 Or voice
  18. Numbers 16:36 Ch 17:1 in Heb
  19. Numbers 16:37 Or place of burning
  20. Numbers 16:37 Lit the fire
  21. Numbers 16:38 Lit sinners against their lives
  22. Numbers 16:40 Or reminder
  23. Numbers 16:40 Lit stranger
  24. Numbers 16:45 Or Arise
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