1One day, Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On, son of Peleth, of the tribe of Reuben, 2And they rose up against Moses, with some two hundred fifty well-known Israelite leaders of the congregation; 3And they came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take have gone too far: the whole congregation is holy, every member, and the LORD is with them. Why do you set yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?” 4And when Moses heard it, he fell on his face: 5And he replied to Korah and his followers, “Tomorrow the LORD will show who are His, and who is holy; and will let him, whomever He has chosen, come near Him: the man He has chosen He will allow to come near to Him. 6Do this, Korah, and your followers: Take censers, 7And tomorrow put fire and incense in them before the LORD: and the man that the LORD chooses shall be the holy one. You take too much upon you, you sons of Levi.” 8And Moses also said to Korah, “Hear, you sons of Levi: 9Does it seem but a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself to perform the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before and minister to the congregation? 10And He has brought you, and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, near to Him; and do you now seek the priesthood, also? 11For it is against the LORD that you and all your company are gathered; and who is Aaron, that you murmur against him?”

12And Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up! 13Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land that flows with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but now you set yourself high above us? 14And you have failed to bring us into a land flowing with milk and honey, or give us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you also deceive these men? We will not come.” 15Then Moses became angry, and said to the LORD, “Do not respect their offering: I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.”

16And then Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers, come before the LORD tomorrow - you, they, and Aaron. 17And let every man bring his censer - you, and Aaron and each man, two hundred fifty of them, bring his censer and put incense in them, before the LORD.” 18And so they each took his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense on them, and stood at the entrance of the tabernacle of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19And when Korah had gathered all those who were against them at the entrance of the tabernacle of meeting: the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation. 20And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21“Separate yourselves from among this assembly, so that I may consume them in an instant.” 22And Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will You be angry with the entire congregation?” 23And the LORD answered Moses, 24“Speak to the congregation, and say, ‘Get away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’”

25And Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26And he addressed the congregation, saying, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, so that you are not consumed for all their sins.” 27So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on all sides. And then Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the entrances of their tents, with their wives, and their children. 28And Moses said, “Here is how you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things; and it was not my idea. 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 does a new thing, and the earth opens her mouth, and swallows them, with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead; then you shall understand that these men have shown contempt for the LORD.” 31And as he had finished speaking these words, the ground beneath them split open; 32And swallowed them, their tents, and all that were associated with Korah, and all their goods. 33They, and all that belonged to them, went down alive into the sheol, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from Israelites. 34And all those around them fled, crying, “The earth will swallow us, too!” 35And a fire came from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred fifty men that were offering incense.

36And the LORD said to Moses, 37“Tell Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, to take up the censers - the charred remains of the burning, for they are holy; and scatter the coals some distance away. 38And let them hammer the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives into broad plates for a covering of the altar; for they were presented before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and let them be a sign to the children of Israel.” 39And Eleazar, the priest, took the bronze censers, with which those that were burnt had offered; and they were made into broad plates for a covering of the altar, 40To be a memorial unto the Israelites: that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, should dare to come near to offer incense before the LORD; so that he does not end up as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

41But on the next day the congregation of the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.” 42And then, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and Aaron, they looked toward the tabernacle of meeting: and, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43And Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tabernacle of meeting. 44And the LORD spoke to Moses, 45“Get away from this congregation, so that I may consume them in an instant.” And they fell on their faces. 46And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer, and put fire from the altar in it, and put on incense, and go quickly to the congregation, and make an atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” 47And Aaron did as Moses commanded, and ran out among the congregation; and, behold, the plague had already begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. 48And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stopped. 49Those that died in that plague were fourteen thousand, seven hundred, beside those who died in the matter of Korah. 50And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tabernacle of meeting; and the plague was stopped.