| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites--Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth--became insolent | 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 |
| 2and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. | 2a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly. |
| 3They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set 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: "In the morning the LORD will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to 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. |
| 6You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers | 6You, Korah, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers, |
| 7and tomorrow put burning coals and incense in them before the LORD. The man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites 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 said to Korah, "Now listen, you 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 rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the LORD's tabernacle and to stand before the community and 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 and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. | 10He has brought you near, you and all your fellow Levites, but you are seeking the priesthood as well. |
| 11It is against the LORD that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against 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?” |
| 12Then Moses summoned 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! |
| 13Isn't it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you also want to lord it 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? |
| 14Moreover, you haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you want to treat these men like slaves? No, 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 very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any 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.” |
| 16Moses said to Korah, "You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow--you and 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 man is to take his censer and put incense in it--250 censers in all--and present it before the LORD. You and Aaron are to present your censers 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.” |
| 18So each of them took his censer, put burning coals and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. | 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. |
| 19When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the entire assembly. | 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 said to Moses and Aaron, | 20And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, |
| 21"Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once." | 21“Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” |
| 22But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, "O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?" | 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?” |
| 23Then the LORD said to Moses, | 23Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 24"Say to the assembly, 'Move away from the tents 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 assembly, "Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging 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 moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents. | 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 has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: | 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 a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, 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 totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt." | 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.” |
| 31As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart | 31As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open, |
| 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with 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 the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. | 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 Israelites around them fled, shouting, "The earth is going to swallow us too!" | 34At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!” |
| 35And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. | 35And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. |
| 36The LORD said to Moses, | 36Then the LORD said to Moses, |
| 37"Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy-- | 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. |
| 38the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the LORD and have become holy. Let them 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 collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death, and he had them hammered out to overlay 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, |
| 40as the LORD directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the LORD, or he would 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 whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. "You have killed the LORD's people," they said. | 41The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!” |
| 42But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD 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. |
| 43Then Moses 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, |
| 45"Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once." And 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 said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has started." | 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 did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. | 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 living and the dead, and the plague stopped. | 48He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague was halted. |
| 49But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. | 49But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who had died on account of Korah. |
| 50Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped. | 50Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, since the plague had been halted. |
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