Num. 16:1,3‑50• 1Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, made bold, and with him Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men.
3And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Jehovah is among them. Wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of Jehovah?
4And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face.
5And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even tomorrow Jehovah will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto Him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto Him.
6This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
7and put fire therein, and put incense in them before Jehovah tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom Jehovah doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
8And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:
9Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
10—{i}that he has brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee; and seek ye now the priesthood also?{/i}
11{i}For which cause thou and all thy band are banded together against Jehovah; and Aaron, who is he that ye murmur against him?{/i}
12{i}And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, We will not come up!{/i}
13{i}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, that thou must make thyself altogether a ruler over us?{/i}
14{i}Moreover, thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up!{/i}
15{i}Then Moses was very wroth, and said to Jehovah, Have no regard to their oblation: not one ass have I taken from them, neither have I hurt one of them.{/i}
16{i}And Moses said to Korah, Be thou and all thy band before Jehovah, thou, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.{/i}
17{i}And take each his censer, and put incense thereon, and present before Jehovah every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; and thou, and Aaron, each his censer.{/i}
18{i}And they took each his censer, and put fire on them, and laid incense thereon, and stood before the entrance to the tent of meeting, as well as Moses and Aaron.{/i}
19{i}And Korah gathered the whole assembly against them to the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the assembly.{/i}
20{i}And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,{/i}
21{i}Separate yourselves from the midst of this assembly, and I will consume them in a moment.{/i}
22{i}And they fell on their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh! shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with the whole assembly?{/i}
23{i}And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,{/i}
24{i}Speak unto the assembly, saying, Get you up from about the habitation of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.{/i}
25{i}And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.{/i}
26{i}And he spoke to the assembly, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye perish in all their sins.{/i}
27{i}And they got up from the habitation of Koran, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the entrance of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.{/i}
28{i}And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that Jehovah has sent me to do all these deeds, for they are not out of my own heart:{/i}
29{i}if these men die as all men die, and are visited with the visitation of all men, Jehovah has not sent me;{/i}
30{i}but if Jehovah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, and all that they have, and they go down alive into Sheol, then ye shall know that these men have despised Jehovah.{/i}
31{i}And it came to pass when he had ended speaking all these words, that the ground clave apart that was under them.{/i}
32And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
33They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
35And there came out a fire from Jehovah, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
36{i}And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying{/i},
37speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.
38The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Jehovah, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.
39And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:
40to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before Jehovah; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Jehovah said to him by the hand of Moses.
41But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of Jehovah.
42And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Jehovah appeared.
43And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
44And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
45Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
46And Moses said unto Aaron, Take the censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Jehovah; the plague is begun.
47And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people; {i}and he put on incense, and made atonement for the people.{/i}
48{i}And he{/i} stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed{i}.
49{i}Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides them that had died because of the matter of Korah.{/i}
50{i}And Aaron returned to Moses to the entrance of the tent of meeting; and the plague was stayed.{/i} (Num. 16:1,3‑50)