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          DASV: Numbers 16    

1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi,
conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab,
and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben.
2 They rebelled against Moses, along with some Israelites,
250 leaders of the congregation, chosen from the assembly,
well-known men.
3 They assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron,
and said to them, "You have gone too far! For all in the
congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD
is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above
the assembly of the LORD?"

4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.
5 Then he spoke to Korah and all his followers, "In the morning
the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy and will
allow that person to come near him. The one he will choose,
he will allow to approach him.
6 Do this: Korah, you and all your company, take incense censers;
7 put fire in them, and put incense on them before the
LORD tomorrow. The man whom the LORD chooses will be holy.
You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!"
8 Then Moses said to Korah, "Listen, you sons of Levi!
9 Does it seem an insignificant thing to you, that the
God of Israel has separated you from the congregation 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?
10 He has brought you near, and all your brothers,
the sons of Levi with you. Are you now seeking the
priesthood as well?
11 Therefore you and all your company have gathered
together against the LORD. Who is Aaron that you should
murmur against him?"

12 Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab.
But they replied, "We will not come up.
13 Is it not enough that you brought us up out of a land
flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness?
Now you also want to make yourself a prince over us?
14 Beyond that you have not brought us into a land
flowing with milk and honey, or given us inheritance
of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes
of these men? We will not come up."

15 Then Moses became very angry, and said to the LORD,
"Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one
donkey from them, and I have not hurt a single one
of them."
16 Moses said to Korah, "Be present before the LORD,
you and all your company tomorrow, you and they,
and Aaron.
17 Each of you take his censer, and put incense in it,
and every one bring his censer before the LORD,
250 censers total; you also, and Aaron, each of you
with his censer."
18 So each man took his censer, put fire in it and laid
incense on it, and stood at the entrance of the Tent
of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.

19 When Korah had assembled all the congregation against
them to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, the glory
of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation.
20 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
21 "Separate yourselves from this congregation, that
I may consume them in an instant."
22 But they fell on their faces and said, "O God,
the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one person sin,
and will you be angry with the whole community?"
23 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24 "Tell the congregation, 'Get away from the tents
of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.'"

25 So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram
and the elders of Israel followed him.
26 He told the congregation, "Get away from the tents
of these wicked men! Do not touch anything of theirs,
or you will be destroyed because of all their sins."
27 So they got away from the dwellings of Korah,
Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out,
and stood at the entrance of their tents, along with
their wives, sons and their children.
28 Then Moses said, "This is how you will know that the
LORD has sent me to do all these works; for I have
not done them on my own.
29 If these men die a natural death, or if they
share the fate common to all men; then the LORD
has not sent me.
30 But if the LORD does something entirely new,
and the ground open its mouth, and swallows them up,
with everything that belongs to them, and they go
down alive into grave; then you will know that these
men have despised the LORD."
31 As soon as he finished speaking all these words,
the ground under them split apart.
32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up,
along with their households, and all the men
associated with Korah and all their goods.
33 So they and all that belonged to them, went down
alive into the grave; and the earth closed over them.
So they perished from among the assembly.
34 All Israel who were around them fled when they
heard their cry, for they said, "The earth may
swallow us too."

35 Fire came out from the LORD, and devoured the
250 men who offered the incense.
36 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
37 "Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to pick
up the censers out of the flames, and scatter the ambers
a good way off; for they are holy.
38 As for the censers of these sinners at the cost of
their own lives; let them be hammered into plates for
a covering of the altar, because they were presented
before the LORD. Therefore they are holy and they
will be a sign warning the Israelites."
39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers,
that had been presented by those who were burned and
hammered them into a covering for the altar.
40 It was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no
outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron was to come
near to burn incense before the LORD so he not become
like Korah and as his followers; just as the LORD spoke
to him through Moses.

41 But the next day the whole congregation of Israelites
murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have
killed the people of the LORD."
42 When the congregation was assembled against Moses
and Aaron, they turned toward the Tent of Meeting and
the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.
43 Then Moses and Aaron stood in the front of the Tent
of Meeting.
44 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45 "Get away from this congregation, that I may consume
them in an instant." So they fell on their faces.
46 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, and put
burning coals from the altar in it
and place incense on it, and carry it quickly among
the congregation, and make atonement for them for wrath
has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun."
47 So Aaron took it as Moses directed, and ran into the
midst of the assembly; and the plague had already begun
among the people. He put on the incense and made
atonement for the people.
48 He stood between the dead and the living; and the
plague was stopped.
49 But 14,700 died from the plague besides those who
had died in the affair involving Korah.
50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of
the Tent of Meeting and the plague was averted.

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