Numbers 16 · Parashat Korach

Now Qoraĥ, the son of Yiżhar, the son of Qehat, the son of Levi, and Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eli᾽av, and On, the son of Pelet, of the sons of Re᾽uven, took men:

and they rose up before Moshe, with certain of the children of Yisra᾽el, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, regularly summoned to the congregation, men of renown:

and they gathered themselves together against Moshe and against Aharon, and said to them, You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: why then do you raise yourselves up above the congregation of the Lord?

And when Moshe heard it, he fell on his face:

and he spoke to Qoraĥ and to all his company, saying, Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near to him: even him whom he has chosen will he cause to come near to him.

This do; Take censers, Qoraĥ, and all his company;

and put fire in them, and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom the Lord chooses, he shall be holy: you take too much upon you, you sons of Levi.

And Moshe said to Qoraĥ, Hear, I pray you, sons of Levi:

is it but a small thing to you, that the God of Yisra᾽el has separated you from the congregation of Yisra᾽el, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them?

And he has brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and do you seek the priesthood also?

For which cause both thou and all thy company who are gathered together are against the Lord: and what is Aharon, that you murmur against him?

And Moshe sent to call Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eli᾽av; but they said, We will not come up:

is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, and dost thou also make thyself a prince over us?

Moreover thou hast not brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

And Moshe was much angered, and said to the Lord, Have no regard to their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, nor have I hurt one of them.

And Moshe said to Qoraĥ, Be thou and all thy company before the Lord, thou, and they, and Aharon, tomorrow:

and take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and present before the Lord every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aharon, each of you his censer.

And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense on them, and stood in the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moshe and Aharon.

And Qoraĥ gathered all the congregation against them to the door of the Tent of Meeting: and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.

And the Lord spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying,

Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be angry with all the congregation?

And the Lord spoke to Moshe, saying,

Speak to the congregation, saying, Get up from about the dwelling of Qoraĥ, Datan, and Aviram.

And Moshe rose up and went to Datan and Aviram; and the elders of Yisra᾽el followed him.

And he spoke to the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.

So they went up from the dwelling of Qoraĥ, Datan, and Aviram, on every side: and Datan and Aviram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.

And Moshe said, Hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of my own mind.

If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord has not sent me.

But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens her mouth, and swallows them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down alive into She᾽ol; then you shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.

And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split beneath them:

and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained to Qoraĥ, and all their goods.

They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into She᾽ol, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

And all Yisra᾽el that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.