The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

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- Chapter 16 -

Now Korah son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, descendants of Reuben, gathered some men.

They rose up against Moses, along with other men from the people of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the community who were well known members in the community.

They assembled themselves together to confront Moses and Aaron. They said to them, “You have gone too far! All the community is set apart, every one of them, and Yahweh is among them. Why do you lift up yourselves above the rest of Yahweh’s community?”

When Moses heard that, he lay facedown.

He spoke to Korah and to all those with him, “In the morning Yahweh will make known who belongs to him and who is set apart to him. He will bring that person near to him. The one he chooses he will bring near to himself.

Do this, Korah and all your group. Take censers

tomorrow and put fire and incense in them before Yahweh. The one whom Yahweh chooses, that man will be set apart to Yahweh. You have gone too far, you descendants of Levi.”

Again, Moses said to Korah, “Now listen, you descendants of Levi:

Is it a small thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do work in Yahweh’s tabernacle, and to stand before the community to serve them?

He has brought you near, and all your kinfolk, the descendants of Levi, with you, yet you are seeking the priesthood also!

That is why you and all your group have gathered together against Yahweh. So why are you complaining about Aaron, who obeys Yahweh?”

Then Moses called for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up.

Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness? Now you want to make yourself ruler over us!

In addition, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, or given us the fields and vineyards as an inheritance. Now do you want to blind us with empty promises? We will not come to you.”

Moses was very angry and said to Yahweh, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed any of them.”

Then Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow you and all your company must go before Yahweh-you and they, and Aaron.

Each of you must take his censer and put incense in it. Then each man must bring before Yahweh his censer, two hundred and fifty censers. You and Aaron, also, must each bring your censer.”

So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense in it, and stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.

Korah assembled all the community against Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting, and Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the community.

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron:

“Separate yourselves from among this community that I may consume them immediately.”

Moses and Aaron lay facedown and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all humanity, if one man sins, must you be angry with all the community?”

Moses Separates the People

Yahweh replied to Moses. He said,

“Speak to the community. Say, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’”

Then Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; the elders of Israel followed him.

He spoke to the community and said, “Now leave the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs, or you will be consumed by all their sins.”

So the community on every side of the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram left them. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance to their tents, with their wives, sons, and their little ones.

The Earth Swallows Korah

Then Moses said, “By this you will know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own accord.

If these men die a natural death such as normally happens, then Yahweh has not sent me.

But if Yahweh creates an opening in the ground that swallows them up like a large mouth, along with all their families, and if they go down alive into Sheol, then you must understand that these men have despised Yahweh.”

As soon as Moses finished speaking all these words, the ground opened under those men.

The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their families, and all the people who belonged to Korah, as well as all their possessions.

They and everyone in their families went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed over them, and in this way they perished from the midst of the community.

All Israel around them fled from their cries. They exclaimed, “The earth may swallow us up also!”

Then fire flashed out from Yahweh and devoured the 250 men who had offered incense.

The Censers Reserved for Holy Use

Again Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

“Speak to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest and let him take up the censers out of the flames, for the censers are set apart to me. Then let him scatter the burning coals at a distance.

Take the censers of those who lost their lives because of their sin. Let them be made into hammered plates as a covering over the altar. Those men did offer them before me, so they are set apart to me. They will be a sign of my presence to the people of Israel.”

Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that had been used by the men who were burned up, and they were hammered out into a covering for the altar,

to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider who was not descended from Aaron should come up to burn incense before Yahweh, so they might not become like Korah and his group-just as Yahweh had commanded through Moses.

Murmuring and Plague

(1 Corinthians 10:1–13)

But the next morning all the community of the people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron. They said, “You have killed Yahweh’s people.”

Then it happened, when the community had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting and behold, the cloud was covering it. Yahweh’s glory appeared,

and Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

“Go away from in front of this community so that I may consume them immediately.” Then Moses and Aaron lay down with their faces to the ground.

Moses said to Aaron, “Take the censer, put fire in it from off the altar, put incense in it, carry it quickly to the community, and make atonement for them, because anger is coming from Yahweh. The plague has begun.”

So Aaron did as Moses directed. He ran into the middle of the community. The plague had quickly started to spread among the people, so he put in the incense and made atonement for the people.

Aaron stood between the dead and the living; in this way the plague was stopped.

Those who died by the plague were 14,700 in number, besides those who had died in the matter of Korah.

Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, and the plague ended.

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men.

They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown.

They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the LORD is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above the LORD’s assembly?”

When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.

He said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning, the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him. Even him whom he shall choose, he will cause to come near to him.

Do this: have Korah and all his company take censers,

put fire in them, and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!”

Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi!

Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also?

Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against the LORD! What is Aaron that you complain against him?”

Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up!

Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us?

Moreover you haven’t 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 won’t come up.”

Moses was very angry, and said to the LORD, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before the LORD, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.

Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before the LORD his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer.”

They each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.

Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. The LORD’s glory appeared to all the congregation.

The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”

They fell on their faces, and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”

Moses Separates the People

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”

Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”

So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

The Earth Swallows Korah

Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind.

If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then the LORD hasn’t sent me.

But if the LORD makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol,(a) then you shall understand that these men have despised the LORD.”

As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart.

The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods.

So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol.(b) The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.

All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”

Fire came out from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

The Censers Reserved for Holy Use

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy,

even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before the LORD. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,

to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before the LORD, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as the LORD spoke to him by Moses.

Murmuring and Plague

(1 Corinthians 10:1–13)

But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”

When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and the LORD’s glory appeared.

Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.

Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD! The plague has begun.”

Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. The plague had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.

He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the matter of Korah.

Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.

Footnotes

(a)16:30 Sheol is the place of the dead.

(b)16:33 Sheol is the place of the dead.