Numbers 16

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Then, behold, Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and also On the son of Peleth, of the sons of Ruben,	1 Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath the Levite, and the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram sons ofEliab, and On son of Peleth were proud
2 rose up against Moses, with two hundred fifty others of the sons of Israel, leading men of the assembly, and who, at the time of a council, would be called by name.	2 and rebel ed against Moses with two hundred and fifty Israelites who were leaders of the community,prominent at the solemn feasts, men of repute.
3 And when they had stood against Moses and Aaron, they said: “Let it be sufficient for you that the entire multitude is of holy ones, and that the Lord is among them. Why do you elevate yourselves above the people of the Lord?”	3 These banded together against Moses and Aaron and said to them, 'You take too much onyourselves! The whole community, al its members, are consecrated, and Yahweh lives among them. Why setyourselves higher than Yahweh's community?'
4 When Moses had heard this, he fell prone on his face.	4 On hearing this, Moses threw himself on his face.
5 And speaking to Korah, and to the entire multitude, he said: “In the morning, the Lord will cause it to be known who belongs to him, and which holy ones he will join to himself. And whomever he will choose, they shall be close to him.	5 Then he said to Korah and al in his party, 'Tomorrow morning Yahweh wil reveal who is his, who theconsecrated man whom he wil al ow to approach him. The one he al ows to approach is the one whom he haschosen.
6 Therefore, do this: Each one of you, Korah and all your associates, take your censer,	6 This is what you must do: take the censers of Korah and al in his party,
7 and drawing fire into it tomorrow, place incense upon it before the Lord. And whomever he will choose, the same shall be holy. You sons of Levi have been raised up greatly.”	7 put fire in them and put incense in them before Yahweh tomorrow, and the one whom Yahwehchooses wil be the consecrated man. Levites, you take too much on yourselves!'
8 And he said again to Korah: “Listen, sons of Levi.	8 Moses then said to Korah, 'Now listen, you Levites!
9 Is it a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from all the people, and has joined you to himself, so that you would serve him in the rituals of the tabernacle, and stand before gatherings of the people, and minister to him?	9 Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has singled you out of the community of Israel, andcal ed you to be near him, to serve in Yahweh's Dwel ing and to represent the community by officiating on itsbehalf?
10 Was the reason that he caused you and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, to approach him, so that you would even claim for yourselves the priesthood too,	10 He has cal ed you to be near him, you and al your brother Levites with you, and now you want to bepriests as wel !
11 and so that your entire group would stand against the Lord? For what is Aaron that you should murmur against him?”	11 For which reason, you and al in your party have banded together against Yahweh himself: for whatis Aaron, that you should mutter against him?'
12 Therefore, Moses sent to call for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, who responded: “We will not come.	12 Moses then summoned Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab. They replied, 'We wil not come.
13 Is it a small matter to you, that you have led us away from a land that was flowing with milk and honey, so as to kill us in the desert, unless you could also be a ruler over us?	13 Is it not enough for you to have brought us away from a country flowing with milk and honey to kil usin the desert, without your making yourself our absolute ruler?
14 You have led us, it is true, to a land that flows with streams of milk and honey, and you have given us possession of fields and vineyards. But will you also tear out our eyes? We will not come.”	14 What is more, you have not brought us to a country flowing with milk and honey and you have notgiven us fields and vineyards for our heritage. Do you think you can hoodwink these people? We wil not come.'
15 And Moses, being very angry, said to the Lord: “Do not look with favor on their sacrifices. You know that I have not accepted from them, at any time, so much as a young donkey, nor have I afflicted any of them.”	15 Moses flew into a rage and said to Yahweh, 'Disregard their cereal offering! I have not taken somuch as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.'
16 And he said to Korah: “You and your congregation, stand alone before the Lord, and apart from Aaron, tomorrow.	16 Moses said to Korah, 'You and all your party, come before Yahweh tomorrow, you and they, andAaron too.
17 Let each one of you take censers, and place incense in them, offering to the Lord two hundred fifty censers. Let Aaron also hold his censer.”	17 Each wil take his censer, put incense in it, and bring his censer before Yahweh -- two hundred andfifty censers. You and Aaron too wil each bring his censer.'
18 When they had done this, Moses and Aaron stood up,	18 Each of them took his censer, put fire in it and placed incense on it, and stood at the entrance to theTent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19 and, having crowded the entire multitude close to them at the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.	19 Then, Korah having assembled the whole community to confront them at the entrance to the Tent ofMeeting, the glory of Yahweh appeared to the whole community.
20 And the Lord, speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:	20 Yahweh then spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said,
21 “Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation, so that I may suddenly destroy them.”	21 'Get away from this community. I am going to destroy them here and now.'
22 But they fell prone on their faces, and they said, “O most strong One, the God of the spirits of all flesh, should your anger rage against all, for the sin of one?”	22 They threw themselves on their faces and cried out, 'O God, God of the spirits that give life to everyliving thing, wil you be angry with the whole community because one man has sinned?'
23 And the Lord said to Moses:	23 Yahweh then said to Moses,
24 “Instruct the entire people to separate from the tents of Korah, and Dathan, and Abiram.”	24 'Speak to the community and say, "Stand wel clear of Korah's tent." '
25 And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram. And the elders of Israel followed him,	25 Moses stood up and went to Dathan and Abiram; the elders of Israel fol owed him.
26 and he said to the crowd, “Withdraw from the tabernacles of these impious men, and touch nothing which pertains to them, lest you become involved in their sins.”	26 He spoke to the community and said, 'Stand away, I tel you, from the tents of these sinners, andtouch nothing that belongs to them, for fear that with all their sins you too wil be swept away.'
27 And when they had withdrawn from their tents all around, Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their pavilions, with their wives and children, and with all their associates.	27 So they moved away from Korah's tent. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing attheir tent doors, with their wives, their sons and their little ones.
28 And Moses said: “By this shall you know that the Lord has sent me to do all that you discern, and that I have not brought these things out of my own heart:	28 Moses said, 'This is how you will know that Yahweh himself has sent me to perform al these tasksand that I am not doing them of my own accord.
29 If these men pass away by the common death of men, or if they will be visited by a scourge, of a kind by which others are often visited, then the Lord did not send me.	29 If these people die a natural death such as people commonly die, then Yahweh has not sent me.
30 But if the Lord accomplishes something new, so that the earth opens its mouth and swallows them whole, along with everything that belongs to them, and they descend alive into the underworld, then you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord.”	30 But if Yahweh does something utterly new, if the earth should open its mouth and swal ow them andal their belongings, so that they go down alive to Sheol, then you wil know that they held Yahweh in contempt.'
31 Therefore, as soon as he had ceased to speak, the earth broke open under their feet.	31 The moment he finished saying all this, the ground split apart under their feet,
32 And opening its mouth, it devoured them with their tabernacles and their entire substance.	32 the earth opened its mouth and swal owed them, their families, all Korah's people and al theirproperty.
33 And they descended alive, the ground closing around them, into the underworld, and they perished from the midst of the mulititude.	33 They went down alive to Sheol with al their belongings. The earth closed over them and theydisappeared in the middle of the community.
34 Yet truly, all of Israel, which was standing all around, took flight at the clamor of those who were perishing, saying, “Lest perhaps the earth may swallow us whole also.”	34 At their cries, all the Israelites round them took to their heels, saying, 'We do not want the earth toswal ow us too!'
35 Then, too, a fire, going forth from the Lord, put to death the two hundred fifty men who were offering the incense.	35 Fire then shot out from Yahweh and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering incense.
36 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
37 “Instruct Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to take up the censers which lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire to one side and another, because they were sanctified
38 in the deaths of these sinners. And let him form them into plates, and affix them to the altar, because incense had been offered in them to the Lord, and they were sanctified, and so that the sons of Israel may discern in them a sign and a memorial.”
39 Therefore, Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, by which those whom the burning devoured had made an offering, and he formed them into plates, affixing them to the altar,
40 so that the sons of Israel would have, thereafter, something to admonish them, lest any stranger, or anyone who is not of the offspring of Aaron, might approach to offer incense to the Lord, and lest he endure what happened to Korah, and to all his congregation, when the Lord spoke to Moses.
41 Then, the following day, the entire multitude of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: “You have put to death the people of the Lord.”
42 And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased,
43 Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. But after they had entered it, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
44 And the Lord said to Moses:
45 “Withdraw from the midst of this multitude, and I will destroy them immediately.” And while they were lying on the ground,
46 Moses said to Aaron: “Take the censer, and draw fire into it from the altar; place incense upon it, and continue on, quickly, to the people, to pray for them. For already wrath has gone forth from the Lord, and the scourge rages.”
47 When Aaron had done this, and he ran into the midst of the multitude, which the burning fire was now destroying, and he offered the incense.
48 And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the scourge ceased.
49 But the number of those who were struck down was fourteen thousand men, and seven hundred, aside from those who had perished in the sedition of Korah.
50 And Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, after the destruction quieted.