The Rebellion of Korah

16:1 1 Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, who were Reubenites,2 took men3 16:2 and rebelled against Moses, along with some of the Israelites, 250 leaders4 of the community, chosen from the assembly,5 famous men.6 16:3 And they assembled against Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “You take too much upon yourselves,7 seeing that the whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the community of the Lord?”

16:4 When Moses heard it he fell down with his face to the ground.8 16:5 Then he said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning the Lord will make known who are his, and who is holy. He will cause that person9 to approach him; the person he has chosen he will cause to approach him. 16:6 Do this, Korah, you and all your company:10 Take censers, 16:7 put fire in them, and set incense on them before the Lord tomorrow, and the man whom the Lord chooses will be holy. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!” 16:8 Moses said to Korah, “Listen now, you sons of Levi! 16:9 Does it seem too small a thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel to bring you near to himself, to perform the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the community to minister to them? 16:10 He has brought you near and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, with you. Do you now seek11 the priesthood also? 16:11 Therefore you and all your company have assembled together against the Lord! And Aaron—what is he that you murmur against him?”12 16:12 Then Moses summoned13 Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up.14 16:13 Is it a small thing15 that you have brought us up out of the land that flows with milk and honey,16 to kill us in the wilderness? Now do you want to make yourself a prince17 over us? 16:14 Moreover,18 you have not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you think you can blind19 these men? We will not come up.”

16:15 Moses was very angry, and he said to the Lord, “Have no respect20 for their offering! I have not taken so much as one donkey from them, nor have I harmed any one of them!”

16:16 Then Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company present yourselves before the Lord—you and they, and Aaron—tomorrow. 16:17 And each of you21 take his censer, put22 incense in it, and then each of you present his censer before the Lord: 250 censers, along with you, and Aaron—each of you with his censer.” 16:18 So everyone took his censer, put fire in it, and set incense on it, and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron. 16:19 When23 Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting, then the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community.