Chapter
16
Now Korah, the daughter of Izhar, the daughter of Kohath, the daughter of Levia, with Dathan and Abiram, the daughters of Eliab, and On, the daughter of Peleth, daughters of Reuben, took women:
and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princesses of the congregation, called to the assembly, women of renown;
and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, You take too much on you, seeing all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Yahweh is among them: why then lift yourselves up above the assembly of Yahweh?
When Moses heard it, she fell on her face:
and she spoke to Korah and to all her company, saying, In the morning Yahweh will show who are hers, and who is holy, and will cause her to come near to her: even her whom she shall choose she will cause to come near to her.
This do: take you censers, Korah, and all her company;
and put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow: and it shall be that the woman whom Yahweh does choose, she shall be holy: you take too much on you, you daughters of Levia.
Moses said to Korah, Hear now, you daughters of Levia:
seems it but a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to herself, to do the service of the tent of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;
and that she has brought you near, and all your sisters the daughters of Levia with you? and seek you the priesthood also?
Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against Yahweh: and Aaron, what is she who you murmur against her?
Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the daughters 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 needs make yourself also a princess 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 women? we won't come up.
Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, "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 Yahweh, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow:
and take every woman her censer, and put incense on them, and bring you before Yahweh every woman her censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each her censer.
They took every woman her censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
Korah assembled all the congregation against them to the door of the tent of meeting: and the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the congregation.
Yahweh 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 woman sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?
Yahweh 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 her.
She spoke to the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked women, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.
So they got them up from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their husbands, and their daughters, and their little ones.
Moses said, Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for I have] not [done them of my own mind.
If these women die the common death of all women, or if they be visited after the visitation of all women; then Yahweh hasn't sent me.
But if Yahweh make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these women have despised Yahweh.
It happened, as she made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split apart that was under them;
and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the women who appertained to Korah, and all their goods.
So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.
All Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up.
Fire came forth from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty women who offered the incense.
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Speak to Eleazar the daughter of Aaron the priestess, that she take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter you the fire yonder; for they are holy,
even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Yahweh; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.
Eleazar the priestess took the bronze censers, which those who were burnt 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 seed of Aaron, comes near to burn incense before Yahweh; that she not be as Korah, and as her company: as Yahweh spoke to her by Moses.
But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You have killed the people of Yahweh.
It happened, when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting: and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yahweh appeared.
Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.
Yahweh 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, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Yahweh; the plague is begun.
Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague was begun among the people: and she put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.
She stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah.
Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tent of meeting: and the plague was stayed.