Numbers 16:21-50

²¹Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation, and I will make an end of them in a moment.

²²And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, this one man doth sin, and with all the congregation wouldst thou be wroth!

²³And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁴Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you away from about the dwelling of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram.

²⁵And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and there went after him the elders of Israel.

²⁶And he spoke unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing which belongeth to them, lest ye be destroyed through all their sins.

²⁷So they got away from the dwelling of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, standing boldly at the door of their tents, with their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.

²⁸And Moses said, Through this shall ye know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these deeds; that I have not done them out of my own heart.

²⁹If these men die as all men die, and if the visitation of all men be visited on them: then hath the Lord not sent me.

³⁰But if the Lord do create a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertaineth unto them, and they go down alive into the pit: then shall ye understand that these men have provoked the Lord.

³¹And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground that was under them was cloven asunder:

³²And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korach, and all their goods.

³³And they went down, they, and all they that appertained to them, alive into the pit; and the earth closed over them, and they disappeared from the midst of the congregation.

³⁴And all Israel that were round about them fled at their cry; for they said, Perhaps the earth may swallow us up also.

³⁵And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that had offered the incense.

³⁶(17:1) And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

³⁷(17:2) Speak unto Elazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he lift up the censers out of the burning, and throw out the fire far away; for they have been hallowed:

³⁸(17:3) The censers of these sinners against their own lives; and they shall make of them broad plates for a covering for the altar; for they brought them near before the Lord, and they have thus become hallowed; and they shall serve for a sign unto the children of Israel.

³⁹(17:4) And Elazar the priest took the copper censers, which they that were burnt had brought near; and they beat them out for a covering unto the altar:

⁴⁰(17:5) As a memorial unto the children of Israel, in order that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, should come near to burn incense before the Lord; that he become not as Korach, and as his company; as the Lord had spoken to him by the hand of Moses.

⁴¹(17:6) And all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, on the morrow, saying, It is you who have caused the people of the Lord to die.

⁴²(17:7) And it came to pass, when the congregation assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation, and, behold, the cloud covered it; and the glory of the Lord appeared.

⁴³(17:8) And Moses came with Aaron before the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁴⁴(17:9) And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁴⁵(17:10) Remove yourselves from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

⁴⁶(17:11) And Moses said unto Aaron, Take the censer, and put therein fire from off the altar, and put on incense, and carry it quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them; for the wrath is gone forth from the Lord; the plague hath begun.

⁴⁷(17:12) And Aaron took as Moses had commanded, and he ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague had begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made an atonement for the people.

⁴⁸(17:13) And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

⁴⁹(17:14) And those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those that had died about the matter of Korach.

⁵⁰(17:15) And Aaron returned unto Moses, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, after the plague had been stayed.