Numbers 16 — Read & Listen Online

Korah Rises Against Moses

Chapter 16.

Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, gathered men, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben. They rose up before Moses, together with some of the people of Israel — 250 leaders of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, men of renown. They assembled against Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! The whole congregation is holy, every one of them, and our Father is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of our Father?"

When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. Then he said to Korah and all his company, "In the morning our Father will show who is his and who is holy, and he will bring that person near to himself. The one he chooses he will bring near to himself." Do this: take censers, Korah and all your company, and tomorrow put fire in them and lay incense on them before our Father. The man our Father chooses will be the holy one. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!"

Moses also said to Korah, "Listen now, you sons of Levi: Is it not enough for you that the Sovereign Father of Israel has set you apart from the rest of the congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself, to do the work of our Father's tabernacle and to stand before the congregation to minister to them? He has brought you near, you and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you — and now you seek the priesthood as well? It is against our Father that you and all your company have banded together. As for Aaron, what is he that you grumble against him?"

Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, "We will not come up! Is it not enough that you brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also lord it over us? What is more, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!"

Moses became very angry and said to our Father, "Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a single donkey from them, nor have I wronged any one of them."

Moses said to Korah, "You and all your company are to present yourselves before our Father tomorrow — you and they and Aaron. Each man is to take his censer and put incense on it, and present it before our Father — 250 censers in all — you and Aaron, each with his own censer."

So each man took his censer, put fire in it and laid incense on it, and they stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. When Korah had assembled the whole congregation against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of our Father appeared to the entire congregation.

And our Father spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

"Separate yourselves from this congregation, so that I may consume them in an instant."

But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, "O our Father, the Father of the spirits of all flesh — when one man sins, will you be angry with the whole congregation?"

Our Father Speaks: Separate Yourselves

Then our Father said to Moses,

"Say to the congregation: Move away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram."

So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. He warned the congregation, "Move away from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins."

So they moved away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their little ones.

The Ground Opens and Swallows Them

Then Moses said, "This is how you will know that our Father has sent me to do all these things, and that none of this was my own idea: If these men die a natural death and suffer only what happens to all people, then our Father has not sent me. But if our Father brings about something entirely new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with everything that belongs to them, so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated our Father with contempt." ¹

As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households and all Korah's people and all their possessions. They went down alive into Sheol, they and all that belonged to them; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.

At their cry, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, "The earth is going to swallow us too!" And fire came out from our Father and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

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