Numbers 16:28-50 ▼

28 And Moses said, “By this you? shall know that YHWH has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own heart.

29 If like the death of every man these ones die, or if the common fate of all men is visited upon them, then YHWH has not sent me.

30 But if YHWH creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you? will know that these men have spurned YHWH.”

31 And it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground that was under them split apart,

32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that were with Korah, and all the goods.

33 And they went down—they and all those with them—alive into the pit, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

34 And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us.”

35 And a fire came out from YHWH and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

36 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,

37 “Speak to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, and he shall lift up the firepans out of the blaze and the fire to scatter some distance away, for they are holy.

38 As for the censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, because they presented them before the face of YHWH, and they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the sons of Israel.”

39 And Eleazar the priest took the bronze firepans that the burned ones had presented, and they were hammered out as a covering on the altar,

40 a memorial to the sons of Israel, so that a son of a foreigner who is not a descendant of Aaron should not come near to offer incense before the face of YHWH, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, as YHWH had said to him by the hand of Moses.

41 And all the congregation of the sons of Israel murmured on the next day against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You? have killed the people of YHWH.”

42 And it came to pass, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the Tent of Meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of YHWH appeared.

43 And Moses and Aaron came to the face of the Tent of Meeting.

44 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,

45 “Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces.

46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take the firepan, and put on it fire from the altar, and set on it incense, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement upon them. For the wrath has gone out from before the face of YHWH—the plague has begun.”

47 And Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and he ran into the midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague had begun among the people. And he put in the incense and made atonement upon the people.

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

49 And those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died on account of Korah.

50 And Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the Tent of Meeting, for the plague had stopped.