¶ Now Korah¹, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben², took men³:

And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous⁴ in the congregation, men of renown:

And they gathered⁵ themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you,⁶ seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD⁷ is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

⁸And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:

And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD⁹ will shew who are his, and who is holy¹⁰; and will cause¹¹ him to come near unto him: even him¹² whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.

¹³This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man¹⁴ whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much¹⁵ upon you, ye sons of Levi.

And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:

Seemeth it but¹⁶ a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated¹⁷ you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?

¶ And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek¹⁸ ye the priesthood also?

For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against¹⁹ the LORD: and what is Aaron²⁰, that ye murmur against him?

¶²¹And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:

Is it a small²² thing that thou hast brought us up out of a²³ land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill²⁴ us in the wilderness, except thou make²⁵ thyself altogether a prince over us?

Moreover²⁶ thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out²⁸ the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

And Moses was very wroth²⁹, and said unto the LORD, Respect³⁰ not thou their offering: I have not³¹ taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou³² and all thy company before³³ the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:

³⁴And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.

And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.

And Korah³⁵ gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory³⁶ of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.

¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

Separate³⁷ yourselves from among this congregation, that I may³⁸ consume them in a moment.

And they fell³⁹ upon their faces, and said, O God, the God⁴⁰ of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin⁴¹, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

⁴²Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

⁴³And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you,⁴⁴ from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood⁴⁵ in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.

And Moses said, Hereby⁴⁶ ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have⁴⁷ not done them of mine⁴⁸ own mind.

If these men die the common⁴⁹ death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD⁵⁰ hath not sent me.

¶ But if the LORD make a new thing⁵¹, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they⁵² go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.

⁵³And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

And the earth⁵⁴ opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the⁵⁵ men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the⁵⁶ pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished⁵⁷ from among the congregation.

And all Israel that were round about them fled⁵⁸ at the cry of them: for they said, Lest⁵⁹ the earth swallow us up also.

¶ And there⁶⁰ came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred⁶¹ and fifty men that offered incense.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers⁶² out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed⁶³.

The censers of these sinners⁶⁵ against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign⁶⁶ unto the children of Israel.

And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

¶ To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no⁶⁷ stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near⁶⁸ to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

¶ But on the morrow⁶⁹ all the⁷⁰ congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have⁷¹ killed the people of the LORD.

And it came to pass, when the⁷² congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory⁷³ of the LORD appeared.

And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Get you up⁷⁴ from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they⁷⁵ fell upon their faces.

And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off⁷⁶ the altar, and put⁷⁷ on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement⁷⁸ for them: for there is wrath⁷⁹ gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun⁸⁰.

And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran⁸¹ into the midst of the congregation; and, behold,⁸² the plague was begun among the people: and he put⁸³ on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

⁸⁵Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

¶ And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.