Bmidbar (Numbers) - Chapter 16

16:1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 16:2 and they rose up before Mosha, with certain of the B'nai Yisrael, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown; 16:3 and they assembled themselves together against Mosha and against Aaron, and said to them, "You take too much on yourself, seeing all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Mar-Yah is among them: why then lift yourselves up above the assembly of Mar-Yah?"

16:4 When Mosha heard it, he fell on his face: 16:5 and he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, "In the morning Mar-Yah will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him: even him whom he shall choose he will cause to come near to him. 16:6 Do this: take censers, Korah, and all his company; 16:7 and put fire in them, and put incense on them before Mar-Yah tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom Mar-Yah chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!"

16:8 Mosha said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi! 16:9 Is it a small thing to you, that God of Yisrael has separated you from the congregation of Yisrael, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the Tabernacle of Mar-Yah, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 16:10 and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And do you seek the priesthood also? 16:11 Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against Mar-Yah: and Aaron, what is he that you murmur against him?"

16:12 Mosha sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, "We will not come up: 16:13 is 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, but you must also make yourself a prince over us? 16:14 Moreover 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." 16:15 Mosha was very angry, and said to Mar-Yah, "Do not respect their offering: I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them." 16:16 Mosha said to Korah, "You and all your company go before Mar-Yah, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow: 16:17 and each man take his censer, and put incense on them, and each man bring before Mar-Yah his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer." 16:18 They each took his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the Tabernacle with Mosha and Aaron. 16:19 Korah assembled the entire congregation against them to the door of the Tabernacle: and the glory of Mar-Yah appeared to all the congregation. 16:20 Mar-Yah spoke to Mosha and to Aaron, saying, 16:21 "Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!" 16:22 They fell on their faces, and said, "God, God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?"

16:23 Mar-Yah spoke to Mosha, saying, 16:24 "Speak to the congregation, saying, 'Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!'" 16:25 Mosha rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Yisrael followed him. 16:26 He spoke to the congregation, saying, "Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!"

16:27 So they got them up from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones. 16:28 Mosha said, "Hereby you shall know that Mar-Yah has sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of my own mind. 16:29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then Mar-Yah has not sent me. 16:30 But if Mar-Yah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised Mar-Yah."

16:31 It happened, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split apart that was under them; 16:32 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who appertained to Korah, and all their goods. 16:33 So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. 16:34 All Yisrael that were around them fled at the cry of them; for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up!" 16:35 Fire came forth from Mar-Yah, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

16:36 Mar-Yah spoke to Mosha, saying, 16:37 "Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire yonder; for they are holy, 16:38 even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Mar-Yah; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the B'nai Yisrael." 16:39 Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, 16:40 to be a memorial to the B'nai Yisrael, to the end that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, comes near to burn incense before Mar-Yah; that he not be as Korah, and as his company: as Mar-Yah spoke to him by Mosha. 16:41 But on the next day all the congregation of the B'nai Yisrael murmured against Mosha and against Aaron, saying, "You have killed Mar-Yah's people!" 16:42 It happened, when the congregation was assembled against Mosha and against Aaron, that they looked toward the Tabernacle: and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Mar-Yah appeared. 16:43 Mosha and Aaron came to the front of the Tabernacle. 16:44 Mar-Yah spoke to Mosha, saying, 16:45 "Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!" They fell on their faces.

16:46 Mosha said to Aaron, "Take your censer, and put fire from off the altar in it, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from Mar-Yah! The plague has begun."

16:47 Aaron did as Mosha said, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague has begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 16:48 He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 16:49 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah. 16:50 Aaron returned to Mosha to the door of the Tabernacle: and the plague was stayed.