Numbers 16 - The Scriptures 1998

¹ And Qoraḥ

² and they rose up before Mosheh with some of the children of Yisra’ĕ

³ And they assembled against Mosheh and against Aharon, and said to them, “Enough of you! For all the congregation is set-apart, all of them, and יהוה  is in their midst. Why then do you lift up yourselves above the assembly of יהוה ?”

⁴ And when Mosheh heard, he fell on his face,

⁵ and spoke to Qoraḥ

⁶ “Do this: Take fire holders, Qoraḥ

⁷ and put fire in them and put incense in them before יהוה  tomorrow. And it shall be that the one whom יהוה  chooses is the set-apart one. Enough of you, sons of Lĕ

⁸ And Mosheh said to Qoraḥ

⁹ “Is it little to you that the Elohim of Yisra’ĕ

¹⁰ and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brothers, the sons of Lĕ

¹¹ “Therefore you and all your company are set against יהוה. And Aharon, what is he that you grumble against him?”

¹² And Mosheh sent to call Dathan and Aḇ

¹³ “Is it little that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you would also seize total rule over us?

¹⁴ “Also, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you bore out the eyes of these men? We are not coming up!”

¹⁵ And Mosheh became very displeased, and said to יהוה, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.”

¹⁶ Then Mosheh said to Qoraḥ

¹⁷ “And take each one his fire holder, and you shall put incense in it. And let each one bring his fire holder before יהוה, two hundred and fifty fire holders, and you and Aharon, each one with his fire holder.”

¹⁸ So each one took his fire holder, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Mosheh and Aharon.

¹⁹ And Qoraḥ

²⁰ And יהוה  spoke to Mosheh, and to Aharon, saying,

²¹ “Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation, and let Me consume them in a moment.”

²² But they fell on their faces, and said, “O Ě

²³ And יהוה  spoke to Mosheh, saying,

²⁴ “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Move away from around the tents of Qoraḥ

²⁵ So Mosheh rose up and went to Dathan and Aḇ

²⁶ And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Please turn away from the tents of these wrong men! Do not touch whatever belongs to them, lest you be consumed in all their sins.”

²⁷ Then they moved away from around the tents of Qoraḥ

²⁸ And Mosheh said, “By this you know that יהוה  has sent me to do all these works, that they are not from my own heart.

²⁹ “If these die as all men do, or if they are visited as all men are visited, then יהוה  has not sent me.

³⁰ “But if יהוה  creates what is unheard of, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, then you shall know that these men have scorned יהוה.”

³¹ And it came to be, as he ended speaking all these words, that the ground under them split apart,

³² and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Qoraḥ

³³ So they and all those with them went down alive into the grave, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

³⁴ And all Yisra’ĕ

³⁵ And a fire came out from יהוה  and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

³⁶ And יהוה  spoke to Mosheh, saying,

³⁷ “Say to Elʽ

³⁸ “The fire holders of these men who sinned against their own lives, let them be made into beaten plates as a covering for the altar. Because they brought them before יהוה, therefore they are set-apart. And let them become a sign to the children of Yisra’ĕ

³⁹ And Elʽ

⁴⁰ a remembrance to the children of Yisra’ĕ

⁴¹ But all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕ

⁴² And it came to be, when the congregation assembled against Mosheh and against Aharon, that they turned toward the Tent of Meeting. And see, the cloud covered it, and the esteem of יהוה  appeared.

⁴³ And Mosheh and Aharon came before the Tent of Meeting.

⁴⁴ And יהוה  spoke to Mosheh, saying,

⁴⁵ “Arise from amidst this congregation, and let Me consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces.

⁴⁶ So Mosheh said to Aharon, “Take the fire holder and put fire in it from the altar, and lay incense on, and go, hurry to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from יהוה, the plague has begun.”

⁴⁷ And Aharon took it as Mosheh commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly, and saw that the plague had begun among the people. And he laid on the incense and made atonement for the people,

⁴⁸ and stood between the dead and the living. And the plague was stopped.

⁴⁹ And those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died on account of Qoraḥ

⁵⁰ Then Aharon returned to Mosheh at the door of the Tent of Meeting, for the plague had stopped.