Numbers 16
1Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, took action with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben.
2They rose up before Moses with 250 men from the sons of Israel, leaders of the congregation, men summoned to the assembly, men of renown.
3They assembled against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole congregation, all of them, are holy, and Yahweh is among them. Why do you lift yourselves above Yahweh’s assembly?”
4Moses heard and fell on his face.
5He spoke to Korah and his whole company: “In the morning Yahweh will make known who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will bring that one near to him. The one he chooses he will bring near to him.
6Do this: take firepans for yourselves, Korah and all his company.
7Put fire in them and place incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow. The man Yahweh chooses shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!”
8Moses said to Korah, “Listen, sons of Levi!
9Is it too little for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the work of Yahweh’s dwelling and stand before the congregation to serve them?
10He has brought you near, and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you. Are you seeking the priesthood too?
11Therefore you and all your company have assembled against Yahweh. As for Aaron, who is he that you should grumble against him?”
12Moses sent to summon Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up!
13Is it too little that you brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also lord it over us?
14You certainly have not brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards! Will you gouge out these men’s eyes? We will not come up!”
15Moses became very angry and said to Yahweh, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken a single donkey from them or harmed a single one of them.”
16Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company are to be before Yahweh tomorrow—you, they, and Aaron.
17Let each take his firepan, put incense on it, and present his firepan before Yahweh, 250 firepans. You and Aaron are each to bring your firepan too.”
18Each took his firepan, put fire on it, and placed incense on it. They stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19Korah assembled the whole congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Yahweh’s glory appeared to the whole congregation.
20Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron:
21“Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.”
22They fell on their faces and said, “God, God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin and you be angry with the whole congregation?”
23Yahweh spoke to Moses:
24“Speak to the congregation: Move away from around the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
25Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
26He spoke to the congregation: “Please turn away from the tents of these wicked men. Touch nothing belonging to them, lest you be swept away in all their sins.”
27They moved away from around the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents with their wives, sons, and little ones.
28Moses said, “By this you will know that Yahweh sent me to do all these deeds, that they did not come from my own heart.
29If these men die as all people die, and the fate of all people comes upon them, Yahweh has not sent me.
30But if Yahweh creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and everything belonging to them, and they go down alive to Sheol, you will know that these men have despised Yahweh.”
31When he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split open.
32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, all the people belonging to Korah, and all their possessions.
33They and everything belonging to them went down alive to Sheol. The earth covered them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
34All Israel around them fled at their cry, for they said, “The earth might swallow us too!”
35Fire went out from Yahweh and consumed the 250 men presenting the incense.
36Yahweh spoke to Moses:
37“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to lift the firepans out of the burned remains, and scatter the coals farther away, for the firepans have become holy.
38The firepans of these men who sinned at the cost of their lives are to be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before Yahweh, they became holy. They shall be a sign for the sons of Israel.”
39Eleazar the priest took the bronze firepans that the burned men had presented, and they hammered them out as a covering for the altar,
40as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no unauthorized person, anyone not descended from Aaron, should approach to burn incense before Yahweh, lest he become like Korah and his company. This was as Yahweh had spoken to him through Moses.
41The next day the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed Yahweh’s people!”
42When the congregation assembled against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. Look, the cloud covered it, and Yahweh’s glory appeared.
43Moses and Aaron came before the tent of meeting.
44Yahweh spoke to Moses:
45“Get away from this congregation, so that I may consume them in an instant.” They fell on their faces.
46Moses said to Aaron, “Take the firepan, put fire from the altar on it, and place incense on it. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has gone out from before Yahweh. The plague has begun!”
47Aaron took it, as Moses had said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. Look, the plague had begun among the people. He put on the incense and made atonement for the people.
48He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.
49Those who died in the plague numbered 14,700, besides those who died in the matter of Korah.
50Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and the plague had been stopped.