| Holman Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took | 1Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted |
| 2 250 prominent Israelite men who were leaders of the community and representatives in the assembly, and they rebelled against Moses. | 2a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly. |
| 3They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, "You have gone too far! Everyone in the entire community is holy, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the LORD's assembly?" | 3They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” |
| 4When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. | 4When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. |
| 5Then he said to Korah and all his followers, "Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him, who is set apart, and the one He will let come near Him. He will let the one He chooses come near Him. | 5Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one He chooses, He will bring near to Himself. |
| 6Korah, you and all your followers are to do this: take firepans, and tomorrow | 6You, Korah, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers, |
| 7place fire in them and put incense on them before the LORD. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is set apart. It is you Levites who have gone too far!" | 7and tomorrow you are to place fire and incense in them in the presence of the LORD. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. It is you sons of Levi who have taken too much upon yourselves!” |
| 8Moses also told Korah, "Now listen, Levites! | 8Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you sons of Levi! |
| 9Isn't it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelite community to bring you near to Himself, to perform the work at the LORD's tabernacle, and to stand before the community to minister to them? | 9Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel and brought you near to Himself to perform the work at the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them? |
| 10He has brought you near, and all your fellow Levites who are with you, but you are seeking the priesthood as well. | 10He has brought you near, you and all your fellow Levites, but you are seeking the priesthood as well. |
| 11Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD! As for Aaron, who is he that you should complain about him?" | 11Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD! As for Aaron, who is he that you should grumble against him?” |
| 12Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, "We will not come! | 12Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come! |
| 13Is it not enough that you brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Do you also have to appoint yourself as ruler over us? | 13Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Must you also appoint yourself as ruler over us? |
| 14Furthermore, you didn't bring us to a land flowing with milk and honey or give us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come!" | 14Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!” |
| 15Then Moses became angry and said to the LORD, "Don't respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them." | 15Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.” |
| 16So Moses told Korah, "You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow--you, they, and Aaron. | 16And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow—you and they and Aaron. |
| 17Each of you is to take his firepan, place incense on it, and present his firepan before the LORD--250 firepans. You and Aaron are each to present your firepan also." | 17Each man is to take his censer, place incense in it, and present it before the LORD—250 censers. You and Aaron are to present your censers as well.” |
| 18Each man took his firepan, placed fire in it, put incense on it, and stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting along with Moses and Aaron. | 18So each man took his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. |
| 19After Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole community. | 19When Korah had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation. |
| 20The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, " | 20And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, |
| 21Separate yourselves from this community so I may consume them instantly." | 21“Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” |
| 22But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, "God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You vent Your wrath on the whole community?" | 22But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?” |
| 23The LORD replied to Moses, " | 23Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 24Tell the community: Get away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram." | 24“Tell the congregation to move away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” |
| 25Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. | 25So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. |
| 26He warned the community, "Get away now from the tents of these wicked men. Don't touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins." | 26And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.” |
| 27So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Meanwhile, Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their tents with their wives, children, and infants. | 27So they moved away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Meanwhile, Dathan and Abiram had come out and stood at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children and infants. |
| 28Then Moses said, "This is how you will know that the LORD sent me to do all these things and that it was not of my own will: | 28Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing: |
| 29If these men die naturally as all people would, and suffer the fate of all, then the LORD has not sent me. | 29If these men die a natural death, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. |
| 30But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them along with all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have despised the LORD." | 30But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.” |
| 31Just as he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split open. | 31As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open, |
| 32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah's people, and all their possessions. | 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions. |
| 33They went down alive into Sheol with all that belonged to them. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly. | 33They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly. |
| 34At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled because they thought, "The earth may swallow us too!" | 34At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!” |
| 35Fire also came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were presenting the incense. | 35And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. |
| 36Then the LORD spoke to Moses: " | 36Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 37Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the firepans from the burning debris, because they are holy, and scatter the fire far away. | 37“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy. |
| 38As for the firepans of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, make them into hammered sheets as plating for the altar, for they presented them before the LORD, and the firepans are holy. They will be a sign to the Israelites." | 38As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.” |
| 39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze firepans that those who were burned had presented, and they were hammered into plating for the altar, | 39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, |
| 40just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. It was to be a reminder for the Israelites that no unauthorized person outside the lineage of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD and become like Korah and his followers. | 40just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his followers. |
| 41The next day the entire Israelite community complained about Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the LORD's people!" | 41The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!” |
| 42When the community assembled against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the tent of meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the LORD's glory appeared. | 42But when the congregation gathered against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the Tent of Meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. |
| 43Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, | 43Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting, |
| 44and the LORD said to Moses, " | 44and the LORD said to Moses, |
| 45Get away from this community so that I may consume them instantly." But they fell facedown. | 45“Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown. |
| 46Then Moses told Aaron, "Take your firepan, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the community and make atonement for them, because wrath has come from the LORD; the plague has begun." | 46Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” |
| 47So Aaron took his firepan as Moses had ordered, ran into the middle of the assembly, and saw that the plague had begun among the people. After he added incense, he made atonement for the people. | 47So Aaron took the censer as Moses had ordered and ran into the midst of the assembly. And seeing that the plague had begun among the people, he offered the incense and made atonement for the people. |
| 48He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was halted. | 48He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague was halted. |
| 49But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who died because of the Korah incident. | 49But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who had died on account of Korah. |
| 50Aaron then returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, since the plague had been halted. | 50Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, since the plague had been halted. |
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