The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Kapitel 16 -

Nowe Korah the sonne of Izhar, the sonne of Kohath, the sonne of Leui went apart with Dathan, and Abiram the sonnes of Eliab, and On the sonne of Peleth, the sonnes of Reuben:

And they rose vp against Moses, with certaine of the children of Israel, two hundreth and fiftie captaines of the assemblie, famous in the Congregation, and men of renoume,

Who gathered themselues together against Moses, and against Aaron, and sayde vnto them, Ye take too much vpon you, seeing all the Congregation is holie, euery one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherfore then lift ye your selues aboue the Congregation of the Lord?

But when Moses heard it, hee fell vpon his face,

And spake to Korah and vnto all his companie, saying, To morow the Lord will shew who is his, and who is holy, and who ought to approche neere vnto him: and whom he hath chosen, hee will cause to come neere to him.

This doe therefore, Take you censers, both Korah, and all his companie,

And put fire therein, and put incense in the before the Lord to morowe: and the man whome the Lord doeth chuse, the same shalbe holie: ye take too much vpon you, ye sonnes of Leui.

Againe Moses saide vnto Korah, Heare, I pray you, ye sonnes of Leui.

Seemeth it a small thing vnto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the multitude of Israel, to take you neere to himselfe, to doe the seruice of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the Congregation and to minister vnto them?

He hath also taken thee to him, and all thy brethren the sonnes of Leui with thee, and seeke ye the office of the Priest also?

For which cause, thou, and all thy companie are gathered together against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmure against him?

And Moses sent to call Dathan, and Abiram the sonnes of Eliab: who answered, We will not come vp.

Is it a small thing that thou hast brought vs out of a lande that floweth with milke and honie, to kill vs in the wildernesse, except thou make thy selfe lord and ruler ouer vs also?

Also thou hast not brought vs vnto a land that floweth with milke and honie, neither giuen vs inheritance of fieldes and vineyardes: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come vp.

Then Moses waxed verie angry, and saide vnto the Lord, Looke not vnto their offring: I haue not taken so much as an asse from them, neither haue I hurt any of them.

And Moses said vnto Korah, Bee thou and al thy companie before the Lord: both thou, they, and Aaron to morowe:

And take euery man his censor, and put incense in them, and bring ye euery man his censor before the Lord, two hundreth and fiftie censors: thou also and Aaron, euery one his censor.

So they tooke euery man his censor, and put fire in them, and laide incense thereon, and stoode in the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation with Moses and Aaron.

And Korah gathered all the multitude against them vnto the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation: then the glorie of the Lord appeared vnto all the Congregation.

And the Lord spake vnto Moses and to Aaron, saying,

Separate your selues from among this Cogregation, that I may consume them at once.

And they fell vpon their faces and saide, O God the God of the spirits, of all fleshe, hath not one man onely sinned, and wilt thou bee wroth with all the Congregation?

Moses Separates the People

And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

Speake vnto the Congregation and say, Get you away from about the Tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.

Then Moses rose vp, and went vnto Dathan and Abiram, and the Elders of Israel followed him.

And he spake vnto the Congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tentes of these wicked men, and touche nothing of theirs, lest ye perish in all their sinnes.

So they gate them away from the Tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram on euerie side: and Dathan, and Abiram came out and stood in the doore of their tentes with their wiues, and their sonnes, and their little children.

The Earth Swallows Korah

And Moses saide, Hereby yee shall knowe that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works: for I haue not done them of mine owne minde.

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

But if the Lord make a newe thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallowe them vp with all that they haue, and they goe downe quicke into ye pit, then ye shall vnderstand that these men haue prouoked the Lord.

And assoone as he had made an ende of speaking all these wordes, euen the ground claue asunder that was vnder them,

And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them vp, with their families, and all the men that were with Korah, and all their goods.

So they and all that they had, went down aliue into the pit, and the earth couered them: so they perished from among the Congregation.

And all Israel that were about them, fled at the crie of them: for they said, Let vs flee, least the earth swalow vs vp.

But there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundreth and fiftie men that offred the incense.

The Censers Reserved for Holy Use

And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

Speake vnto Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the Priest, that he take vp the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire beyond the altar: for they are halowed,

The censers, I say, of these sinners, that destroyed themselues: and let them make of them broade plates for a couering of the Altar: for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they shalbe holy, and they shall be a signe vnto the children of Israel.

Then Eleazar the Priest tooke the brasen censers, which they, that were burnt, had offred, and made broade plates of them for a couering of the Altar.

It is a remembrance vnto the children of Israel, that no stranger which is not of the seede of Aaron, come neere to offer incense before the Lord, that he be not like Korah and his company, as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.

Murmuring and Plague

(1 Corinthians 10:1–13)

But on the morowe all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye haue killed the people of the Lord.

And when the Congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, then they turned their faces toward the Tabernacle of the Congregation: and beholde, the cloude couered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

Then Moses and Aaron were come before the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

Get you vp from among this Congregation: for I wil consume them quickly: then they fell vpon their faces.

And Moses said vnto Aaron, Take the censer and put fire therein of the Altar, and put therein incense, and goe quickly vnto the Congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord: the plague is begunne.

Then Aaron tooke as Moses commanded him, and ranne into the middes of the Congregation, and beholde, the plague was begun among the people, and hee put in incense, and made an atonement for the people.

And when hee stoode betweene the dead, and them that were aliue, the plague was stayed.

So they died of this plague fourtene thousande and seuen hundreth, beside them that dyed in the conspiracie of Korah.

And Aaron went againe vnto Moses before the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and the plague was stayed.

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men.

They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown.

They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the LORD is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above the LORD’s assembly?”

When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.

He said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning, the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him. Even him whom he shall choose, he will cause to come near to him.

Do this: have Korah and all his company take censers,

put fire in them, and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!”

Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi!

Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also?

Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against the LORD! What is Aaron that you complain against him?”

Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up!

Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us?

Moreover you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.”

Moses was very angry, and said to the LORD, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before the LORD, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.

Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before the LORD his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer.”

They each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.

Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. The LORD’s glory appeared to all the congregation.

The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”

They fell on their faces, and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”

Moses Separates the People

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”

Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”

So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

The Earth Swallows Korah

Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind.

If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then the LORD hasn’t sent me.

But if the LORD makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol,(a) then you shall understand that these men have despised the LORD.”

As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart.

The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods.

So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol.(b) The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.

All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”

Fire came out from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

The Censers Reserved for Holy Use

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy,

even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before the LORD. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,

to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before the LORD, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as the LORD spoke to him by Moses.

Murmuring and Plague

(1 Corinthians 10:1–13)

But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”

When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and the LORD’s glory appeared.

Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.

Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD! The plague has begun.”

Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. The plague had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.

He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the matter of Korah.

Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.

Fußnoten

(a)16:30 Sheol is the place of the dead.

(b)16:33 Sheol is the place of the dead.