Numbers 16:19-35

¹⁹When Korah had gathered all his rebellious group at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Lord's glory appeared before the whole congregation.

²⁰The Lord told Moses and Aaron,

²¹“Step away from these Israelites and I will destroy them right away.”

²²But Moses and Aaron fell facedown on the ground said, “God—God of everything that lives—when it's just one man who sins, do you have to be angry with the everybody?”

²³Then the Lord told Moses,

²⁴“Tell the people to move away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

²⁵So Moses went over to Dathan and Abiram, and the Israelite elders of Israel followed him.

²⁶He ordered the people, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men and don't touch anything that belongs to them, otherwise you will be destroyed along with them in all their sins.”

²⁷The people moved away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances to their tents along with their wives, children and little ones.

²⁸Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord did send me to carry out everything I've done, for it wasn't anything I thought up.

²⁹If these men die a natural death, experiencing the destiny of every human being, then the Lord didn't sent me.

³⁰But if the Lord does something totally different, and the earth opens up and swallows them down along with everything that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have acted with contempt to the Lord.”

³¹Immediately Moses finished saying all this the ground under the rebels split apart,

³²and the earth opened up and swallowed them and their households down, as well as everyone who was there with Korah and everything that belonged to them.

³³They went down alive into Sheol with all that they had. The earth closed over them, and they were no more.

³⁴When they heard their cries, all the Israelites nearby ran away, shouting, “Watch out! The earth could swallow us too!”

³⁵Fire burst out from the Lord and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.