Old Testament · Numbers

Numbers 16

Korah’s Rebellion

1And Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, took, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben; 2and they rose up before Moses, with men^a from the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty, princes of the congregation, called of the appointed time (mo-ed), men of renown; 3and they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, "Too much for you! For all the congregation, all of them, are holy, and the LORD is in their midst; and why do you lift yourselves up over the assembly of the LORD?"

4And Moses heard, and he fell upon his face. 5And he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, "In the morning the LORD will make known who is His, and who is holy, and He will bring him near to Him; and whom He chooses He will bring near to Him. 6This do: take for yourselves censers, Korah and all his company, 7and put fire in them, and place incense upon them before the LORD tomorrow; and it shall be, the man whom the LORD chooses, he is the holy one. Too much for you, sons of Levi!"

8And Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, sons of Levi: 9Is it a small thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Him, to serve^b the service^c of the tabernacle^d of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 10and He has brought you near, and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you; and will you seek also the priesthood? 11Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD; and Aaron, what is he that you murmur against him?"

12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, "We will not come up! 13Is it a small thing that you have brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should also make yourself altogether a prince over us? 14Moreover, you have not brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us an inheritance of field and vineyard; will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!"

15And it burned hot to Moses exceedingly, and he said to the LORD, "Do not turn to their offering; not one donkey from them have I taken, nor have I done evil to one of them."

16And Moses said to Korah, "You and all your company, be before the LORD, you and they and Aaron, tomorrow. 17And take each man his censer, and put incense upon them, and bring near before the LORD each man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; and you and Aaron, each his censer."

18And they took each man his censer, and put fire upon them, and laid incense upon them, and stood at the entrance of the tent^e of appointed time (mo-ed), with Moses and Aaron. 19And Korah assembled against them all the congregation to the entrance of the tent of appointed time (mo-ed); and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.

20And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21"Separate yourselves from among this congregation, and I will consume them in a moment."

22And they fell upon their faces, and said, "God, the God of the spirits^f of all flesh^g, shall one man sin, and against all the congregation will You be wroth?"

Moses Separates the People

23And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24"Speak to the congregation, saying, Go up from around the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram."

25And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel went after him. 26And he spoke to the congregation, saying, "Turn aside now from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that is theirs, lest you be swept away in all their sins."

27And they went up from around the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out, standing at the entrance of their tents, with their wives^h and their sons and their little ones.

The Earth Swallows Korah

28And Moses said, "By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, that it is not from my heart: 29if these die like the death of all manⁱ, and the visitation of all man is visited upon them, then the LORD has not sent me; 30but if the LORD creates a creation, and the ground^j opens its mouth and swallows them and all that is theirs, and they go down living^k into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD."

31And it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart which was under them; 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their houses, and every man who belonged to Korah, and all the goods. 33And they went down, they and all that was theirs, living into Sheol; and the earth covered over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

34And all Israel who were around them fled at their voice, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us!" 35And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense.