16 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:

And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?

And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:

And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the Lord will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.

This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.

And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:

Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?

10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?

11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?

12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:

13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?

14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

15 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the Lord, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

16 And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the Lord, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:

17 And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the Lord every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.

18 And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.

19 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the congregation.

20 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

24 Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

25 And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

26 And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of their's, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.

28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.

29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me.

30 But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.

31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

35 And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

36 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

37 Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.

38 The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

39 And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

40 To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.

41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.

42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

44 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.

47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

Korah's Rebellion

16 Now (A)Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and (B)Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. (C)They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, (D)“You have gone too far! For (E)all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” When Moses heard it, (F)he fell on his face, and he said to Korah and all his company, “In the morning the Lord will show (G)who is his,[a] and who is (H)holy, and will bring him near to him. The one (I)whom he chooses he will (J)bring near to him. Do this: take (K)censers, Korah and all his company; put fire in them and put incense on them before the Lord tomorrow, and the man whom the Lord chooses shall be the holy one. (L)You have gone too far, sons of Levi!” And Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi: is it (M)too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has (N)separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, 10 and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also? 11 Therefore it is against the Lord that you and all your company have gathered together. What is (O)Aaron that you grumble against him?”

12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and they said, “We will not come up. 13 Is it (P)a small thing that you have brought us up out of (Q)a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also (R)make yourself a prince over us? 14 Moreover, you have not brought us into 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 And Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, (S)“Do not respect their offering. (T)I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them.”

16 And Moses said to Korah, “Be present, you and all your company, (U)before the Lord, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17 And (V)let every one of you take his censer and put incense on it, and every one of you bring before the Lord his censer, (W)250 censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer.” 18 So every man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19 Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (X)And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.

20 And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21 (Y)“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them (Z)in a moment.” 22 And they (AA)fell on their faces and said, “O God, (AB)the God of the spirits of all flesh, (AC)shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?” 23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling 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, (AD)“Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins.” 27 So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood (AE)at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones. 28 And Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been (AF)of my own accord. 29 If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, (AG)then the Lord has not sent me. 30 But if the Lord creates something new, and (AH)the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they (AI)go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.”

31 (AJ)And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. 32 And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and (AK)all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. 33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and (AL)they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” 35 And (AM)fire came out from the Lord and consumed (AN)the 250 men offering the incense.

36 [b] Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the blaze. Then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy. 38 As for the censers of (AO)these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the Lord, and they became holy. (AP)Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel.” 39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar, 40 to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so (AQ)that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the Lord, lest he become like Korah and his company—as the Lord said to him through Moses.

41 But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel (AR)grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” 42 And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, (AS)the cloud covered it, and (AT)the glory of the Lord appeared. 43 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 (AU)“Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” (AV)And they fell on their faces. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for (AW)wrath has gone out from the Lord; the plague has begun.” 47 So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living, and (AX)the plague was stopped. 49 Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, (AY)besides those who died in the affair of Korah. 50 And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 16:5 Septuagint The Lord knows those who are his
  2. Numbers 16:36 Ch 17:1 in Hebrew

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] 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) 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)

When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.(J) 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. You, Korah, and all your followers(N) are to do this: Take censers(O) 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!”

Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! 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

  1. Numbers 16:1 Or Peleth—took men
  2. Numbers 16:14 Or to deceive these men; Hebrew Will you gouge out the eyes of these men
  3. Numbers 16:50 In Hebrew texts 16:36-50 is numbered 17:1-15.

La rebelión de Coré, Datán y Abirán

16 Coré, que era hijo de Izar, nieto de Coat y bisnieto de Leví, y los rubenitas Datán y Abirán, hijos de Eliab, y On hijo de Pélet, se atrevieron a sublevarse contra Moisés, con el apoyo de doscientos cincuenta israelitas. Todos ellos eran personas de renombre y líderes que la comunidad misma había escogido. Se reunieron para oponerse a Moisés y a Aarón, y les dijeron:

―¡Vosotros habéis ido ya demasiado lejos! Si toda la comunidad es santa, lo mismo que sus miembros, y el Señor está en medio de ellos, ¿por qué os creéis vosotros los dueños de la comunidad del Señor?

Cuando Moisés escuchó lo que le decían, se inclinó ante ellos y les respondió a Coré y a todo su grupo:

―Mañana el Señor dirá quién es quién. Será él quien declare quién es su escogido, y hará que se le acerque. Coré, esto es lo que tú y tu gente haréis mañana: tomaréis incensarios, y les pondréis fuego e incienso en la presencia del Señor. El escogido del Señor será aquel a quien él elija. ¡Sois vosotros, hijos de Leví, los que habéis ido demasiado lejos!

Moisés le dijo a Coré:

―¡Escuchadme ahora, levitas! ¿Os parece poco que el Dios de Israel os haya separado del resto de la comunidad para que estéis cerca de él, ministréis en el santuario del Señor, y os distingáis como servidores de la comunidad? 10 Dios mismo os ha puesto a su lado, a ti y a todos los levitas, ¿y ahora queréis también el sacerdocio? 11 Tú y tu gente os habéis reunido para oponeros al Señor, porque ¿quién es Aarón para que murmuréis contra él?

12 Moisés mandó llamar a Datán y Abirán, hijos de Eliab, pero ellos contestaron:

―¡No iremos! 13 ¿Te parece poco habernos sacado de la tierra donde abundan la leche y la miel, para que ahora quieras matarnos en este desierto y dártelas de gobernante con nosotros? 14 Lo cierto es que tú no has logrado llevarnos todavía a esa tierra donde abundan la leche y la miel, ni nos has dado posesión de campos y viñas. Lo único que quieres es seguir engatusando[a] a este pueblo. ¡Pues no iremos!

15 Entonces Moisés, sumamente enojado, le dijo al Señor:

―No aceptes la ofrenda que te traigan, que yo de ellos no he tomado ni siquiera un asno, ni les he hecho ningún daño.

16 A Coré, Moisés le dijo:

―Tú y tu gente y Aarón os presentaréis mañana ante el Señor. 17 Cada uno de vosotros se acercará al Señor con su incensario lleno de incienso, es decir, os acercaréis con doscientos cincuenta incensarios. También tú y Aarón llevaréis los vuestros.

18 Así que cada uno, con su incensario lleno de fuego e incienso, se puso de pie a la entrada de la Tienda de reunión, junto con Moisés y Aarón. 19 Cuando Coré hubo reunido a toda su gente en contra de Moisés y Aarón a la entrada de la Tienda de reunión, la gloria del Señor se apareció ante todos ellos. 20 Entonces el Señor les dijo a Moisés y a Aarón:

21 ―Apartaos de esta gente, para que yo la consuma de una vez por todas.

22 Pero Moisés y Aarón se postraron rostro en tierra, y exclamaron:

Señor, Dios de toda la humanidad:[b] un solo hombre ha pecado, ¿y vas tú a enojarte con todos ellos?

23 Entonces el Señor le dijo a Moisés:

24 ―Ordénales que se alejen de las tiendas de Coré, Datán y Abirán.

25 Moisés y los ancianos de Israel fueron adonde estaban Datán y Abirán. 26 Entonces Moisés le advirtió a la gente:

―¡Alejaos de las tiendas de estos impíos! No toquéis ninguna de sus pertenencias, para que vosotros no seáis castigados por los pecados de ellos.

27 El pueblo se alejó de las tiendas de Coré, Datán y Abirán. Los dos últimos habían salido a la entrada de sus tiendas, y estaban allí, de pie, con sus esposas y todos sus hijos.

28 Moisés siguió diciendo:

―Ahora vais a saber si el Señor me ha enviado a hacer todas estas cosas, o si estoy actuando por mi cuenta. 29 Si estos hombres mueren de muerte natural, como es el destino de todos los hombres, eso querrá decir que el Señor no me ha enviado. 30 Pero, si el Señor crea algo nuevo, y hace que la tierra se abra y se los trague con todas sus pertenencias, de tal forma que desciendan vivos al sepulcro, entonces sabréis que estos hombres menospreciaron al Señor.

31 Tan pronto como Moisés terminó de hablar, la tierra se abrió debajo de ellos; 32 se abrió y se los tragó, a ellos y a sus familias, junto con la gente y las posesiones de Coré. 33 Bajaron vivos al sepulcro, junto con todo lo que tenían, y la tierra se cerró sobre ellos. De este modo fueron eliminados de la comunidad. 34 Al oírlos gritar, todos los israelitas huyeron de allí exclamando:

―¡Corramos, no sea que la tierra nos trague también a nosotros!

35 Y los doscientos cincuenta hombres que ofrecían incienso fueron consumidos por el fuego del Señor.

Los incensarios

36 El Señor le dijo a Moisés: 37 «Ya que ahora los incensarios son santos, ordena a Eleazar, hijo del sacerdote Aarón, que los retire del rescoldo y que esparza las brasas. 38 Toma los incensarios de aquellos que pecaron a costa de su vida, y haz con ellos láminas para recubrir el altar. Ahora son santos, porque fueron presentados ante el Señor, y serán así una señal para los israelitas».

39 Entonces el sacerdote Eleazar recogió esos incensarios, y con ellos mandó hacer láminas para recubrir el altar. 40 Las láminas quedaron allí, como advertencia a los israelitas, para que ninguno que no fuera descendiente de Aarón ni estuviera autorizado se atreviera a ofrecer incienso ante el Señor; de lo contrario, le sucedería lo mismo que a Coré y su gente, tal como el Señor se lo había advertido por medio de Moisés.

Aarón intercede por el pueblo

41 Al día siguiente, toda la congregación de los israelitas volvió a murmurar contra Moisés y Aarón, diciendo:

―Vosotros matasteis al pueblo del Señor.

42 Como la congregación empezó a amotinarse contra Moisés y Aarón, estos se dirigieron a la Tienda de reunión. De repente la nube cubrió la Tienda, y apareció la gloria del Señor. 43 Entonces Moisés y Aarón se detuvieron frente a la Tienda de reunión, 44 y el Señor le dijo a Moisés:

45 ―Apártate de esta gente, para que yo la consuma de una vez por todas.

Ellos se postraron rostro en tierra, 46 y Moisés le dijo a Aarón:

―Toma tu incensario y pon en él algunas brasas del altar; agrégale incienso, y vete corriendo adonde está la congregación, para hacer propiciación por ellos, porque la ira del Señor se ha desbordado y el azote divino ha caído sobre ellos.

47 Aarón hizo lo que Moisés le dijo, y corrió a ponerse en medio de la asamblea. El azote divino ya se había desatado entre el pueblo, así que Aarón ofreció incienso e hizo propiciación por el pueblo. 48 Se puso entre los vivos y los muertos, y así detuvo la mortandad. 49 Con todo, catorce mil setecientas personas murieron, sin contar las que perdieron la vida por causa de Coré. 50 Una vez que cesó la mortandad, Aarón volvió a la entrada de la Tienda de reunión, donde estaba Moisés.

Footnotes

  1. 16:14 seguir engatusando. Lit. sacarle los ojos.
  2. 16:22 toda la humanidad. Lit. los espíritus de toda carne.