Numbers 16:1-15

¹Now Korah son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, descendants of Reuben, gathered some men.

²They rose up against Moses, along with other men from the people of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the community who were well-known members in the community.

³They assembled themselves together to confront Moses and Aaron. They said to them, “You have gone too far! All the community is set apart, every one of them, and Yahweh is among them. Why do you lift up yourselves above the rest of Yahweh's community?”

⁴When Moses heard that, he lay facedown.

⁵He spoke to Korah and to all those with him, “In the morning Yahweh will make known who belongs to him and who is set apart to him. He will bring that person near to him. The one he chooses he will bring near to himself.

⁶Do this, Korah and all your group. Take censers

⁷tomorrow and put fire and incense in them before Yahweh. The one whom Yahweh chooses, that man will be set apart to Yahweh. You have gone too far, you descendants of Levi.”

⁸Again, Moses said to Korah, “Now listen, you descendants of Levi:

⁹is it a small thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do work in Yahweh's tabernacle, and to stand before the community to serve them?

¹⁰He has brought you near, and all your kinfolk, the descendants of Levi, with you, yet you are seeking the priesthood also!

¹¹That is why you and all your group have gathered together against Yahweh. So why are you complaining about Aaron, who obeys Yahweh?”

¹²Then Moses called for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up.

¹³Is 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? Now you want to make yourself ruler over us!

¹⁴In addition, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, or given us the fields and vineyards as an inheritance. Now do you want to blind us with empty promises? We will not come to you.”

¹⁵Moses was very angry and said to Yahweh, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed any of them.”