Numbers 16:1–19

KORAH INCITES REBELLION

16Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi,^o with Dathan and Abiram,^p sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took ²two hundred fifty prominent Israelite men who were leaders of the community and representatives in the assembly, and they rebelled against Moses. ³They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have gone too far! Everyone in the entire community is holy, and the Lord is among them.^a Why then do you exalt yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

⁴When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. ⁵Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will reveal who belongs to him, who is set apart, and the one he will let come near^b him. He will let the one he chooses^c come near him. ⁶Korah, you and all your followers are to do this: take firepans,^d and tomorrow ⁷place fire in them and put incense on them before the Lord.^e Then the man the Lord chooses will be the one who is set apart.^f It is you Levites who have gone too far!”

⁸Moses also told Korah, “Now listen, Levites! ⁹Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelite community to bring you near to himself,^g to perform the work at the Lord’s tabernacle, and to stand before the community to minister to them?^{h 10}He has brought you near, and all your fellow Levites who are with you, but you are pursuing the priesthoodⁱ as well. ¹¹Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the Lord!^j As for Aaron, who is he^A that you should complain about him?”

¹²Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come! ¹³Is it not enough that you brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness?^k Do you also have to appoint yourself as ruler over us? ¹⁴Furthermore, you didn’t bring us to a land flowing with milk and honey or give us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men?^l We will not come!”

¹⁵Then Moses became angry and said to the Lord, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.” ¹⁶So Moses told Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow—you, they, and Aaron. ¹⁷Each of you is to take his firepan, place incense on it, and present his firepan before the Lord—250 firepans. You and Aaron are each to present your firepan also.”

¹⁸Each man took his firepan, placed fire in it, put incense on it, and stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting along with Moses and Aaron. ¹⁹After Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord^m appeared to the whole community.