Numbers 16:21-45

21“1Separate yourselves from among this congregation, 2that I may consume them instantly.” 22But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, 3God of the spirits of all flesh, 4when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”

23Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘5Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

25Then Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him, 26and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “6Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, 7or you will be swept away in all their sin.” 27So they got back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the doorway of their tents, along with their wives and 8their sons and their little ones. 28Moses said, “By this you shall know that 9the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not 10my doing. 29If these men die 11the death of all men or 12if they suffer the 13fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. 30But 14if the Lord 15brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they 16descend alive into 17Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord.”

31As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; 32and 18the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and 19all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. 33So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to 20Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34All Israel who were around them fled at their 21outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!” 3522Fire also came forth from the Lord and consumed the 23two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

3624Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 37“Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the 25blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the 26burning coals abroad. 38As for the censers of these 27men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the Lord and they are holy; and 28they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.” 39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar, 40as a 29reminder to the sons of Israel that 30no 31layman who is not of the 32descendants of Aaron should come near 33to burn incense before the Lord; so that he will not become like Korah and his company--just as the Lord had spoken to him 34through Moses.

41But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel 35grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord’s people.” 42It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and 36the glory of the Lord appeared. 43Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45“3738Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces.