Korah’s Rebellion

1Now Korah (bald) son of Izhar (shining oil), the son of Kohath (assembly) son of Levi, along with some Reubenites (behold a son)—Dathan (belonging to a fountain) and Abiram (my father is exalted), sons of Eliab (God is father), and On (wealth / vigor) son of Peleth (swiftness)—conducted 2a rebellion against Moses (drawn out), along with 250 men of Israel (he wrestles with God) renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly. 3They came together against Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer) and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves (You have gone too far)!a For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD {YHWH} is in their midst. Why then do you⁺ exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”

4When Moses (drawn out) heard this, he fell facedown. 5Then he said to Korah (bald) and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD {YHWH} will reveal who belongs to Him [God has visited and knows those who are His]b 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 (bald), and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers, 7and tomorrow you are to place fire and incense in them in the presence of the LORD {YHWH}. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. It is you sons of Levi (joined to) who have taken too much upon yourselves!”

8Moses (drawn out) also said to Korah (bald), “Now listen, you⁺ sons of Levi (joined to)! 9Is it not enough for you⁺ that the God {Elohe} of Israel (he wrestles with God) has separated you⁺ from the congregation of Israel and brought you⁺ near to Himself to perform the work at the LORD’s {YHWH} tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them? 10He has brought you near, you and all your fellow Levites (joined to), but you⁺ are seeking the priesthood as well. 11Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD {YHWH}! As for Aaron (light bringer), who is he that you⁺ should grumble against him?”

12Then Moses (drawn out) summoned Dathan (belonging to a fountain) and Abiram (my father is exalted), the sons of Eliab (God is father), but they said, “We will not come! 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 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 (drawn out) became very angry and said to the LORD {YHWH}, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.”

16And Moses (drawn out) said to Korah (bald), “You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD {YHWH} tomorrow—you and they and Aaron (light bringer). 17Each man is to take his censer, place incense in it, and present it before the LORD {YHWH}—250 censers. You and Aaron (light bringer) are to present your censers as well.”

18So each man took his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer) at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 19When Korah (bald) had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD {YHWH} appeared to the whole congregation.

20And the LORD {YHWH} said to Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer), 21“Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.”

22But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God {El Elohe} of the spirits {ruach} of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?”

Moses Separates the People

23Then the LORD {YHWH} said to Moses (drawn out), 24“Tell the congregation to move away from the dwellings of Korah (bald), Dathan (belonging to a fountain), and Abiram (my father is exalted).”

25So Moses (drawn out) got up and went to Dathan (belonging to a fountain) and Abiram (my father is exalted), and the elders of Israel (he wrestles with God) followed him. 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 dwellings of Korah (bald), Dathan (belonging to a fountain), and Abiram (my father is exalted). Meanwhile, Dathan and Abiram had come out and stood at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children and infants.

The Earth Swallows Korah

28Then Moses (drawn out) said, “This is how you⁺ will know that the LORD {YHWH} has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing: 29If these men die a natural death, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD {YHWH} has not sent me. 30But if the LORD {YHWH} 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 Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open, 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s (bald) men and all their possessions. 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 (he wrestles with God) who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!” 35And fire came forth from the LORD {YHWH} and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

The Censers Reserved for Holy Use

36Then the LORD {YHWH} said to Moses (drawn out), 37“Tell Eleazar (God has helped) son of Aaron (light bringer) the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy. 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 {YHWH}, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites (God prevails).”

39So Eleazar (God has helped) 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 {YHWH} commanded him through Moses (drawn out). This was to be a reminder to the Israelites (God prevails) that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron (light bringer) should approach to offer incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah (bald) and his followers.

Murmuring and Plague
(1 Corinthians 10:1–13)

41The next day the whole congregation of Israel (he wrestles with God) grumbled against Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer), saying, “You⁺ have killed the LORD’s {YHWH} people!” 42But when the congregation gathered against them, Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer) turned toward the Tent of Meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD {YHWH} appeared.

43Then Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer) went to the front of the Tent of Meeting, 44and the LORD {YHWH} said to Moses (drawn out), 45“Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.

46Moses (drawn out) said to Aaron (light bringer), “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 {YHWH}; the plague has begun.”

47So Aaron (light bringer) took the censer as Moses (drawn out) 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 was halted. 49But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who had died on account of Korah (bald).

50Then Aaron (light bringer) returned to Moses (drawn out) at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, since the plague had been halted.