Numbers 16:20–35

²⁰And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ²¹“Separate yourselves from the midst of this community, that I can destroy them in a moment.” ²²And they fell on their faces, and they said, “God, God of the spirits of all flesh, will one man sin and you become angry toward the entire community?”

²³Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁴“Speak to the community, saying, ‘Move away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’ ” ²⁵So Moses stood up and went to Dathan and Abiram; the elders of Israel followed after him. ²⁶He said to the community, saying, “Please turn away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that belongs to them,^q or you will be destroyed with all their sins.” ²⁷And so they moved away from around the dwellings^r of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out standing at the doorway of their tents, with their wives, sons, and little children. ²⁸And Moses said, “In this you will know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; it is not from my heart. ²⁹If they die a natural death^s or if a natural fate is visited upon them,^t Yahweh has not sent me. ³⁰But if Yahweh creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up and all that belongs to them,^u and they go down alive to Sheol, and you will know that these men have despised Yahweh.”

³¹And it happened, as soon as he finished speaking^v all these words, the ground that was under them split open. ³²The land opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their houses and every person that belonged to Korah^w and all the property. ³³They went down alive to Sheol, they and all that belonged to them, and the land covered over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. ³⁴All Israel who were around them fled at their cry, because they said, “Lest the land swallow us up!” ³⁵And fire went out from Yahweh, and it consumed the two hundred and fifty men presenting the incense.