16 Now Korah, the son
of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the
sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain
of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly,
famous in the congregation, men of renown: 3 And they gathered themselves together
against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon
you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD
is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation
of the LORD? 4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon
his face: 5 And he spake unto Korah and unto all
his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and
who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he
hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him. 6 This do; Take you censers, Korah, and
all his company; 7 And put fire therein, and put incense
in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the
LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of
Levi. 8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray
you, ye sons of Levi: 9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you,
that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel,
to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the
LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? 10 And he hath brought thee near to him,
and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood
also? 11 For which cause both thou and all thy
company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that
ye murmur against him? 12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram,
the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up: 13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought
us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the
wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us? 14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into
a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields
and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come
up. 15 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto
the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from
them, neither have I hurt one of them. 16 And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and
all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow: 17 And take every man his censer, and put
incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two
hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer. 18 And they took every man his censer,
and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of
the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron. 19 And Korah gathered all the congregation
against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the
glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation. 20 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto
Aaron, saying, 21 Separate yourselves from among this
congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 22 And they fell upon their faces, and
said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and
wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? 23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 24 Speak unto the congregation, saying,
Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. 25 And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan
and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
26 And he
spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents
of these wicked men, and touch nothing of their's, lest ye be consumed
in all their sins. 27 So
they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every
side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents,
and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. 28 And
Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all
these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. 29 If
these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after
the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. 30 But
if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow
them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into
the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. 31 And
it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that
the ground clave asunder that was under them: 32 And
the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and
all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33 They,
and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the
earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. 34 And
all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they
said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. 35 And
there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and
fifty men that offered incense. 36 And
the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 37 Speak
unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers
out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed. 38 The
censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad
plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD,
therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children
of Israel. 39 And
Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt
had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar: 40 To
be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is
not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD;
that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by
the hand of Moses. 41 But
on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured
against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of
the LORD. 42 And
it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and
against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation:
and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43 And
Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. 44 And
the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 45 Get
you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment.
And they fell upon their faces. 46 And
Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the
altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make
an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the
plague is begun. 47 And
Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation;
and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense,
and made an atonement for the people. 48 And
he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49 Now
they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred,
beside them that died about the matter of Korah. 50 And
Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
and the plague was stayed.