Korah’s Rebellion 1 CPDV Then, behold, Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and also On the son of Peleth, of the sons of Ruben, BSB BSB: Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted
2 CPDV rose up against Moses, with two hundred fifty others of the sons of Israel, leading men of the assembly, and who, at the time of a council, would be called by name. BSB BSB: a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly.
3 CPDV And when they had stood against Moses and Aaron, they said: “Let it be sufficient for you that the entire multitude is of holy ones, and that the Lord is among them. Why do you elevate yourselves above the people of the Lord?” BSB BSB: They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”
4 CPDV When Moses had heard this, he fell prone on his face. BSB BSB: When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.
5 CPDV And speaking to Korah, and to the entire multitude, he said: “In the morning, the Lord will cause it to be known who belongs to him, and which holy ones he will join to himself. And whomever he will choose, they shall be close to him. BSB BSB: Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one He chooses He will bring near to Himself.
6 CPDV Therefore, do this: Each one of you, Korah and all your associates, take your censer, BSB BSB: You, Korah, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers,
7 CPDV and drawing fire into it tomorrow, place incense upon it before the Lord. And whomever he will choose, the same shall be holy. You sons of Levi have been raised up greatly.” BSB BSB: and tomorrow you are to place fire and incense in them in the presence of the LORD. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. It is you sons of Levi who have taken too much upon yourselves!”
8 CPDV And he said again to Korah: “Listen, sons of Levi. BSB BSB: Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you sons of Levi!
9 CPDV Is it a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from all the people, and has joined you to himself, so that you would serve him in the rituals of the tabernacle, and stand before gatherings of the people, and minister to him? BSB BSB: Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel and brought you near to Himself to perform the work at the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them?
10 CPDV Was the reason that he caused you and all your brothers, the sons of Levi, to approach him, so that you would even claim for yourselves the priesthood too, BSB BSB: He has brought you near, you and all your fellow Levites, but you are seeking the priesthood as well.
11 CPDV and so that your entire group would stand against the Lord? For what is Aaron that you should murmur against him?” BSB BSB: Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD! As for Aaron, who is he that you should grumble against him?”
12 CPDV Therefore, Moses sent to call for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, who responded: “We will not come. BSB BSB: Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come!
13 CPDV Is it a small matter to you, that you have led us away from a land that was flowing with milk and honey, so as to kill us in the desert, unless you could also be a ruler over us? BSB BSB: Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Must you also appoint yourself as ruler over us?
14 CPDV You have led us, it is true, to a land that flows with streams of milk and honey, and you have given us possession of fields and vineyards. But will you also tear out our eyes? We will not come.” BSB BSB: Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!”
15 CPDV And Moses, being very angry, said to the Lord: “Do not look with favor on their sacrifices. You know that I have not accepted from them, at any time, so much as a young donkey, nor have I afflicted any of them.” BSB BSB: Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.”
16 CPDV And he said to Korah: “You and your congregation, stand alone before the Lord, and apart from Aaron, tomorrow. BSB BSB: And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow—you and they and Aaron.
17 CPDV Let each one of you take censers, and place incense in them, offering to the Lord two hundred fifty censers. Let Aaron also hold his censer.” BSB BSB: Each man is to take his censer, place incense in it, and present it before the LORD—250 censers. You and Aaron are to present your censers as well.”
18 CPDV When they had done this, Moses and Aaron stood up, BSB BSB: So each man took his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
19 CPDV and, having crowded the entire multitude close to them at the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all. BSB BSB: When Korah had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation.
20 CPDV And the Lord, speaking to Moses and Aaron, said: BSB BSB: And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
21 CPDV “Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation, so that I may suddenly destroy them.” BSB BSB: “Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.”
22 CPDV But they fell prone on their faces, and they said, “O most strong One, the God of the spirits of all flesh, should your anger rage against all, for the sin of one?” BSB BSB: But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?”
Moses Separates the People 23 CPDV And the Lord said to Moses: BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses,
24 CPDV “Instruct the entire people to separate from the tents of Korah, and Dathan, and Abiram.” BSB BSB: “Tell the congregation to move away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
25 CPDV And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram. And the elders of Israel followed him, BSB BSB: So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
26 CPDV and he said to the crowd, “Withdraw from the tabernacles of these impious men, and touch nothing which pertains to them, lest you become involved in their sins.” BSB BSB: And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”
27 CPDV And when they had withdrawn from their tents all around, Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their pavilions, with their wives and children, and with all their associates. BSB BSB: So they moved away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Meanwhile, Dathan and Abiram had come out and stood at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children and infants.
The Earth Swallows Korah 28 CPDV And Moses said: “By this shall you know that the Lord has sent me to do all that you discern, and that I have not brought these things out of my own heart: BSB BSB: Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing:
29 CPDV If these men pass away by the common death of men, or if they will be visited by a scourge, of a kind by which others are often visited, then the Lord did not send me. BSB BSB: If these men die a natural death, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me.
30 CPDV But if the Lord accomplishes something new, so that the earth opens its mouth and swallows them whole, along with everything that belongs to them, and they descend alive into the underworld, then you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord.” BSB BSB: But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.”
31 CPDV Therefore, as soon as he had ceased to speak, the earth broke open under their feet. BSB BSB: As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open,
32 CPDV And opening its mouth, it devoured them with their tabernacles and their entire substance. BSB BSB: and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions.
33 CPDV And they descended alive, the ground closing around them, into the underworld, and they perished from the midst of the multitude. BSB BSB: They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly.
34 CPDV Yet truly, all of Israel, which was standing all around, took flight at the clamor of those who were perishing, saying, “Lest perhaps the earth may swallow us whole also.” BSB BSB: At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!”
35 CPDV Then, too, a fire, going forth from the Lord, put to death the two hundred fifty men who were offering the incense. BSB BSB: And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.
The Censers Reserved for Holy Use 36 CPDV And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses,
37 CPDV “Instruct Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to take up the censers which lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire to one side and another, because they were sanctified BSB BSB: “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy.
38 CPDV in the deaths of these sinners. And let him form them into plates, and affix them to the altar, because incense had been offered in them to the Lord, and they were sanctified, and so that the sons of Israel may discern in them a sign and a memorial.” BSB BSB: As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.”
39 CPDV Therefore, Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, by which those whom the burning devoured had made an offering, and he formed them into plates, affixing them to the altar, BSB BSB: So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,
40 CPDV so that the sons of Israel would have, thereafter, something to admonish them, lest any stranger, or anyone who is not of the offspring of Aaron, might approach to offer incense to the Lord, and lest he endure what happened to Korah, and to all his congregation, when the Lord spoke to Moses. BSB BSB: just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his followers.
Murmuring and Plague (1 Corinthians 10:1–13)
41 CPDV Then, the following day, the entire multitude of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: “You have put to death the people of the Lord.” BSB BSB: The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”
42 CPDV And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased, BSB BSB: But when the congregation gathered against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the Tent of Meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.
43 CPDV Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. But after they had entered it, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. BSB BSB: Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting,
44 CPDV And the Lord said to Moses: BSB BSB: and the LORD said to Moses,
45 CPDV “Withdraw from the midst of this multitude, and I will destroy them immediately.” And while they were lying on the ground, BSB BSB: “Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.
46 CPDV Moses said to Aaron: “Take the censer, and draw fire into it from the altar; place incense upon it, and continue on, quickly, to the people, to pray for them. For already wrath has gone forth from the Lord, and the scourge rages.” BSB BSB: Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.”
47 CPDV When Aaron had done this, and he had run into the midst of the multitude, which the burning fire was now destroying, he offered the incense. BSB BSB: So Aaron took the censer as Moses had ordered and ran into the midst of the assembly. And seeing that the plague had begun among the people, he offered the incense and made atonement for the people.
48 CPDV And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the scourge ceased. BSB BSB: He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague was halted.
49 CPDV But the number of those who were struck down was fourteen thousand men, and seven hundred, aside from those who had perished in the sedition of Korah. BSB BSB: But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who had died on account of Korah.
50 CPDV And Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, after the destruction quieted. BSB BSB: Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, since the plague had been halted.