Numbers Chapter 16
Korah’s Rebellion
1 Korah Ben-Izhar Ben-Kohath Ben-Levi, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab and On Ben-Peleth (descendants of Reuben)— 2 together with 250 prominent chosen leaders of the community, well-known men chosen by the assembly—rebelled against Moses and some of the people. 3 They gathered against Moses and Aaron, and said,
“You’ve gone far enough. The whole community is holy, every one of them, and Yahveh’s among them. Why place yourselves above Yahveh’s assembly?”
Num 16:1-3
4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face. 5 Then he told Korah and his company,
“Tomorrow morning Yahveh will show who’s his and who’s holy. He’ll bring near the one he chooses. 6 You and your company, take censers 7 tomorrow and put fire in them and incense on them in Yahveh’s presence. The man heY designates will be the one that’s holy. You’ve gone far enough, you descendants of Levi. [ 8 ] 9 Aren’t you satisfied that God has set you apart from the community, and brought you near to service the Tabernacle and perform service to the community? 10 Isn’t it enough that he’s brought you near? Are you trying to usurp the priesthood too? 11 You and your company have gathered against Yahveh. Why criticize Aaron?”
Num 16:4-11
12 Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, but they said,
“We’re not coming. 13 Isn’t it enough that you’ve brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in a desert? You also want to lord it over us. 14 You haven’t brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey. You haven’t given us fields and vineyards to inherit. Do you want to put out these men’s eyes? We’re not coming!”
15 Moses was really mad and said to Yahveh, “Don’t regard their offering! I haven’t taken a single donkey of theirs or harmed any of them.” 16 Moses told Korah,
“You and your company, along with Aaron, present yourselves to Yahveh tomorrow. 17 Each of you 250 and Aaron, take your firepans, put incense on them, and bring them to Yahveh.”
18 They took their censers and put fire and incense on them. They stood at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19 Korah gathered the community against them there. The glory of Yahveh appeared to the whole community.
Num 16:12-19
20 He told Moses and Aaron, 21 “Get away from the community so I can consume them instantly.”
22 But they fell on their faces and said, “God, God of everyone’s spirit, when one person sins, will you direct your anger at the whole community?”
23 He said to Moses and Aaron, 24 “Tell them to get away from where Korah, Dathan, and Abiram live.”
Num 16:20-24
25 Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders followed him. 26 He told the community, “Get away from these men’s tents. Don’t touch anything that’s theirs or you’ll get swept away in their sin.” 27 They got away from where Korah, Dathan, and Abiram lived. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance to their tents with their wives, sons, and little ones. 28 Moses said,
“This is how you’ll know Yahveh has sent me to do this; it’s not my idea. 29 If these men die naturally or suffer a typical fate, Yahveh hasn’t sent me. 30 But if he causes something entirely new and the ground opens up and swallows them and what’s theirs, you’ll understand that they’ve rejected Yahveh.” Num 16:25-30
31 Just as he finished speaking, the ground under them gaped open. 32 It swallowed them, their families, the people that belonged to Korah, and their possessions. 33 They all went down to Sheol alive, and the ground closed back over them. 34 Everybody around them fled at their outcry, “The ground may swallow us!” 35 Fire from Yahveh also consumed the 250 men that were offering incense.
36 Yahveh said to Moses,
37 “Tell Eleazar to pick up the censers from the blaze and scatter the embers. 38 Hammer the censors into sheets for plating the altar, since they did present them to Yahveh and they’re holy. They’ll serve as a sign for Israel.”
39 Eleazar took the bronze censers and hammered them out as plating for the altar. 40 That was to remind Israel that no layman—someone not descended from Aaron—should come to burn incense to Yahveh; he’d end up like Korah and his company.
Num 16:31-40
41 But the next day the community criticized Moses and Aaron, “You made Yahveh’s people die.” 42 However, Moses and Aaron turned toward the Tent of Meeting, and the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yahveh appeared. 43 They went to the front of the Tent, 44 and Yahveh told Moses, 45 “Get away from the community so I can consume them all at once.” They fell on their faces. 46 Moses told Aaron,
“Take your censer, put fire in it from the altar, and add incense to it. Hurry and take it to the community and atone for them. Yahveh’s anger has gone out and started a plague!”
47 Aaron did that and ran into the assembly and put on the incense and atoned for them. 48 He stood between the dead and living, and the plague stopped. 49 But 14,700 died from it besides the ones that died because of Korah. 50 Aaron went back to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting because the plague had stopped.
Num 16:41-50