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1Now Izhar's son Korah, the grandson of Kohath, a descendant of Levi, along with Eliab's sons Dathan and Abiram, and Peleth's son On, a descendant of Reuben, took charge

1Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men.

2of a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 community leaders, Israelis who were famous men and representatives from the assembly.

2And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men.

3They gathered together against Moses and Aaron and told them, "You have appropriated too much for yourselves from the entire congregation, since all of them are holy, and the LORD is among them, too. Why do you exalt yourselves over the LORD's assembly?"

3They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”

4When Moses heard this, he fell on his face.

4When Moses heard it, he fell on his face,

5Then he addressed Korah and his entire company, "In the morning, may the LORD reveal who belongs to him and who is holy. May he cause that person to approach him. May he cause to approach him the one whom he has chosen.

5and he said to Korah and all his company, “In the morning the LORD will show who is his, and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him.

6Korah, you and your entire company are to bring censers

6Do this: take censers, Korah and all his company;

7and put fire and incense in them in the LORD's presence tomorrow. It will be that the man whom the LORD chooses will be holy. You're taking too much for yourselves, you descendants of Levi."

7put fire in them and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow, and the man whom the LORD chooses shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!”

8Moses also told Korah, "Listen now, you descendants of Levi!

8And Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi:

9Is it such an insignificant thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelis to draw you to himself, appointing you to do the work of the tent of the LORD and to stand before the community to minister to them?

9is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister to them,

10He brought you near, along with all of your relatives, the descendants of Levi. Are you also seeking the priesthood?

10and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also?

11Therefore you and your group have conspired against the LORD and Aaron. What is it that causes you to complain against him?"

11Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?”

12So Moses sent for Eliab's sons Dathan and Abiram, but they responded, "We're not coming.

12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and they said, “We will not come up.

13Is it such an insignificant thing that you brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness? Now you're trying to make yourself be a prince and rule over us, aren't you?

13Is 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, that you must also make yourself a prince over us?

14You still haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you really think that you can make these men look the other way? We won't go up."

14Moreover, you have not 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 will not come up.”

15Moses was very angry, so he told the LORD, "Please don't accept their offering. I haven't taken even one donkey from them nor have I hurt even one of them."

15And Moses was very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them.”

16Then Moses told Korah, "You and your entire company are to present yourselves in the LORD's presence tomorrow—you, they, and Aaron.

16And Moses said to Korah, “Be present, you and all your company, before the LORD, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.

17Each man is to take a censer, put incense on it, and bring it into the LORD's presence, each man with his censer, for a total of 250 censers. You and Aaron are each to bring his own censer."

17And let every one of you take his censer and put incense on it, and every one of you bring before the LORD his censer, 250 censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer.”

18So each man took his censer, put fire coals inside of it, placed incense in it, and then stood at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, accompanied by Moses and Aaron.

18So every man took his censer and put fire in them and laid incense on them and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.

19When Korah had assembled the entire community in opposition to Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the entire community.

19Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.

20Then the LORD told Moses and Aaron,

20And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

21"Separate yourselves from among this community, and I'll destroy them in a moment."

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

22Then they fell on their faces and said, "God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, will you be angry at the entire congregation on account of one man's sin?"

22And they fell on their faces and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”

23Then the LORD instructed Moses,

23And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

24"Tell the community to move away from where Korah, Dathan, and Abiram are living."

24“Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

25So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

25Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

26Then he told the community, "Move away from the camps of these wicked men and don't touch anything that belongs to them. That way you won't be destroyed along with all their sins."

26And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins.”

27So they all moved away from the entire area where Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were living. Now Korah, Dathan, and Abiram stood at the entrance to their tents with their wives, sons, and little children.

27So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

28Then Moses said, "This is how you'll know that the LORD has sent me to do all these awesome works—they're not coming merely from me.

28And Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord.

29If these people die a death similar to all other human beings, or if they are punished with a punishment common to other men, then the LORD didn't send me.

29If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me.

30But if the LORD creates something new, so that the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and everything that belongs to them and they all descend directly to Sheol while still alive, then you'll know that these men have spurned the LORD."

30But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD.”

31Just as he finished saying all these things, the ground under them split open.

31And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart.

32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, all their households, everyone who was affiliated with Korah, and all of their property.

32And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods.

33So they and all that belonged to them descended alive to Sheol. Then the earth closed over them. That's how they were annihilated from the assembly.

33So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

34Then all of the Israelis who were around them ran away when they heard them crying, "…so the ground won't swallow us up, too."

34And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”

35After this, fire came from the LORD and incinerated the 250 men who offered the incense.

35And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.

36 Then the LORD instructed Moses,

36Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

37"Tell Aaron's son Eleazar the priest to take out the censers out of the flames and scatter the coals far away, since they are holy.

37“Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the blaze. Then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy.

38As for the censers of those rebels who died, fasten them into beaten plates to line the altar. Since they brought them into the LORD's presence, they're holy. They are to become a reminder to the Israelis."

38As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the LORD, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel.”

39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that had been burned and beat them into metal plates for the altar,

39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar,

40to serve as a memorial to the Israelis, a reminder that no unauthorized person, who isn't a descendant of Aaron, is to attempt to burn incense in the LORD'S presence, so that he may not become like Korah and his group, just as the LORD had spoken by the authority of Moses.

40to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his company—as the LORD said to him through Moses.

41Nevertheless, the very next day, the whole congregation of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, "You've killed the LORD'S people!"

41But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.”

42When the community gathered together against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tent of Meeting. All of a sudden, a cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.

42And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

43Then Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting.

43And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting,

44The LORD told Moses,

44and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

45"Leave this community, so I can annihilate them in a moment." But they fell upon their faces.

45“Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces.

46Then Moses told Aaron. "Take the censer, put fire on it from the altar, and burn some incense. Then walk quickly to the congregation and atone for them, because wrath has already come out from the LORD—the plague has begun."

46And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun.”

47So Aaron took the censer, just as Moses had spoken, and ran out to the center of the assembly, where a plague had begun among the people. He set the incense on fire and atoned for the people.

47So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people.

48He stood between the dead and the living and restrained the plague.

48And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.

49Those who died due to the plague numbered 14,700, not counting those who died due to the matter with Korah.

49Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah.

50Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting after the slaughter had been restrained.

50And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped.

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.