Numbers 16 The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram

Numbers 16

The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram

1 And Korah the son of Giza the son of Kohath the son of Levi took with him Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab and Om the son of Peleth, the sons of Reuben.

2 And they rose up before Moses with two hundred and fifty men of the children of Israel, chief of the congregation, called to the gathering, men named.

3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, It is too many now, for all the congregation is holy, and they are all holy: and the LORD is among them: wherefore lift ye up upon the congregation of the LORD?

4 As Moses heard this, it fell upon his face,

5 And he spoke to Korah and to all his congregation, saying, "In the morning the LORD will make known to you who is his, and whom the holy one he will bring to himself: Whom he chooses will bring him to himself.

6 Do this: take ye censers, Korah and all his congregation;

7 And set fire to them tomorrow, and lay incense upon them before the LORD: and it shall come to pass, the children of Levi, that the man whom the LORD hath chosen shall be holy.

8 And Moses said to Korah, Hear now the sons of Levi:

9 Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel separated you from the congregation of Israel to bring you near to do the ministry of the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to him,

10 And he brought thee in, and all thy brethren the children of Levi, with thee; Are you still seeking the priesthood?

11 Therefore you and all your congregation are gathered together against the Lord; and Aaron, which is he, murmur against him?

12 And Moses sent and called for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: but they said, We shall not go up;

13 Have you brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but are you also in full possession of us?

14 Thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us fields and vineyards for inheritance; will you draw out the eyes of these men? We will not go up.

15 And Moses was very angry, and said unto the LORD, Take no thought for his offering; I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I afflicted any of them.

16 And Moses said unto Korah, Thou and all thy congregation stand before Jehovah, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow.

17 And take every man his censer, and put incense thereon; and bring every man his censer before Jehovah, two hundred and fifty censers; thou and Aaron, every man his censer.

18 And they took every man his censer, and set fire thereon, and put incense thereon, and stood before 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; Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.

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

21 Depart from the midst of this congregation, and I will consume them as in a moment.

22 But they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and be angry with all this congregation?

23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

24 Speak to all the congregation, saying, "Rise up around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

25 And Moses arose, and went to Dathan and Abiram: and after him the elders of Israel.

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

27 And they arose from round about the habitation of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram went forth, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their children, and their children.

28 And Moses said, By this shall ye know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these deeds, which do not of my heart.

29 If they die as all men die, and if they are visited as all men visit, then the Lord has not sent me.

30 But if the LORD shall create a new thing, and the earth open his mouth, and swallow them up with all that is his, and let them come down alive into the sepulcher, then shall ye know that these men have provoked the LORD.

31 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the land that was under them was rent.

32 And the earth opened their mouth, and swallowed them up with their houses, and all the men that were of Korah, and all their substance.

33 And they and all that were of them went down alive into the sepulcher, and the earth covered them, and perished from the midst of the congregation.

34 And all Israel that were round about them fled from their cry; because they said, Lest the land also swallow us up.

35 And the fire of the Lord went forth, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

36 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

37 Say to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take the censers from the midst of the fire, and scatter the fire far off, for they are holy;

38 As for the censers of them that have sinned against their souls, let them be made of them, and let them be spread out for the covering of the altar; because they brought them before the LORD;therefore they shall be holy unto the children of Israel.

39 And Eleazar the priest took the censers of brass, which brought those that were burned, and spread them for the covering of the altar,

40 For a memorial for the children of Israel, that there should no stranger that is not of the seed of Aaron come near to burn incense before the LORD; lest he be like Korah and his congregation as the Lord had spoken to him by the mouth of Moses.

41 And 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 together against Moses and against Aaron, and turning to the tabernacle of the congregation, behold, the cloud overshadowed 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 Arise from the midst of this congregation, and I will consume it as in a moment: then they fell upon their faces,

46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take thy censer, and put fire therein from the altar, and put incense upon it, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make atonement for them: for great wrath is gone out from before the LORD; The plague has begun.

47 And Aaron took it, as Moses had spoken, and ran in the midst of the congregation; and behold, the plague had begun among the people; and put incense thereon, and made atonement for the people.

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

49 And those who died of the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, except those who died because of Korah.

50 And Aaron returned unto Moses at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the plague ceased.