Numbers 16:21-45

21“1Separate yourselves from among this congregation, 2so that I may consume them instantly.” 22But they fell on their faces and said, “God, 3the God of the spirits of 4humanity, 5when one person sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”

23Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘6Get away from the areas around the 7tents 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, “8Get away now from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that belongs to them, 9or you will be swept away in all their sin!” 27So they moved away from the areas around the 10tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, along with their wives, 11their sons, and their little ones. 28Then Moses said, “By this you shall know that 12the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds; for it is not 13my doing. 29If these men die 14the death of all mankind, or 15if they suffer the 16fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. 30But 17if the Lord 18brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them with everything that is theirs, and they 19descend alive into 20Sheol, then you will know that these men have been disrespectful to the Lord.”

31And as he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; 32and 21the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, and 22all the people who belonged to Korah with all their possessions. 33So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to 23Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34Then all Israel who were around them fled at their 24outcry, for they said, “The earth might swallow us!” 3525Fire also came out from the Lord and consumed the 26250 men who were offering the incense.

3627Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 37“Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall pick up the censers from the midst of the burned area, because they are holy; and you are to scatter the 28burning coals farther away. 38As for the censers of these 29men who have sinned at the cost of their own lives, have them made into hammered sheets as plating for the altar, since they did present them before the Lord and they are holy; and 30they shall 31serve as a sign to the sons of Israel.” 39So the priest Eleazar took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as plating for the altar, 40as a reminder to the sons of Israel so that 32no 33layman, anyone who was not of the 34descendants of Aaron, would approach 35to burn incense before the Lord; then he would not become like Korah and his group--just as the Lord had spoken to him 36through Moses.

41But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel 37grumbled 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 38the 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“39Get away from among this congregation so that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces.