Numbers 16:1–19

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram Rebel

16Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, the descendants^a of Reuben, ²took two hundred and fifty men from the Israelites,^b leaders of the community summoned from the assembly, renowned men,^c and they confronted^d Moses. ³They were assembled in front of Moses and Aaron, and they said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves!^e All of the community is holy, every one of them, and Yahweh is in their midst, so why do you raise yourselves over the assembly of Yahweh?”

⁴When Moses heard this, he fell on his face. ⁵And he said to Korah and to his entire company, saying, “Tomorrow morning Yahweh will make known who is his and who is holy, and he will bring him near to him, whomever he chooses he will bring near to him. ⁶Do this: take for yourselves censers, Korah and all of your company;^{f 7}tomorrow put fire in them and place incense on them before^g Yahweh; the man whom Yahweh chooses will be the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, sons of Levi!”

⁸And Moses said to Korah, “Please listen, sons of Levi! ⁹Is it too little for you that the God of Israel set you apart from the community of Israel to allow you to approach him^h to do the work of the tabernacle of Yahweh, to stand beforeⁱ the community to serve them? ¹⁰He has allowed you to approach him,^j you with all your brothers, the descendants^k of Levi, but yet you also seek the priesthood. ¹¹Therefore you and your company have banded together against Yahweh. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?”

¹²Moses sent to call for Dathan and Abiram son of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come!^{l 13}Is it too little that you have brought us from a land that flows with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, and that you also appoint yourself as a ruler over us? ¹⁴Surely, you have not brought us to a land that flows with milk and honey, and you have not given us the inheritance of fields and a vineyard. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come!”^m

¹⁵Then Moses became angry, and he said to Yahweh, “Do not notice their grain offering. I have not offered one donkey from them, and I have not mistreated one of them.” ¹⁶And Moses said to Korah, “You and your entire company will be beforeⁿ Yahweh tomorrow, you and they and Aaron. ¹⁷Each one take his censer, and put incense on it^o and you will present it before^p Yahweh, and each of you bring his censer, two hundred and fifty censers, you and Aaron, each his censer.” ¹⁸So each of them took his censer, and they put fire on them, and they placed incense on them; they stood at the doorway of the tent of the assembly of Moses and Aaron. ¹⁹And Korah summoned them, the entire community, by the doorway of the tent of assembly, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the community.