Numbers 16:21-45

21“Separate yourselves from among this assembly, so that I may consume them at once!”

22But they fell on their faces and cried out, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, if one man sins, will you be angry with the entire community?”

23Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying,

24“Speak to the assembly saying, ‘Move away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan and Abiram!’”

25Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram. The elders of Israel followed after him.

26He warned the assembly saying, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men! Don’t touch anything that is theirs, or you will be swept away because of all their sins!”

27So they moved away from near the dwelling of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came outside and were standing at the entrance of their tents with their wives, their children, and their little ones.

28Moses said, “By this you will know that Adonai has sent me to do all these works, that they are not from my own heart.

29If every one of these men die a common death and experience what happens to all people, then Adonai has not sent me.

30But if Adonai brings about a new thing, and the earth opens her mouth and swallows them and everything that is theirs, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have despised Adonai.”

31As soon as he finished saying all these things, the ground split under them.

32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with all their households, all of Korah’s people and all their possessions.

33They went down alive into Sheol, they and everything that was theirs. The earth closed over them and they were gone from among the community.

34All Israel around them fled at their outcry, for they shouted, “Perhaps the earth will swallow us!”

35Fire also came out from Adonai and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.

36Adonai spoke to Moses saying,

37“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the kohen, to take the censers from the burning, because they are holy, and scatter the coals at a distance.

38As for the censers of these men who sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be taken and hammered into sheets as a covering for the altar. For they were presented before Adonai, so they are holy. They are to be a sign to Bnei-Yisrael.”

39So Eleazar the kohen collected the bronze censers brought by the ones who were burned and hammered them into an overlay for the altar,

40just as Adonai had spoken to him by Moses’ hand, so that it would be as a reminder to Bnei-Yisrael that no one who was not a descendant of Aaron should burn incense before Adonai, and so no one would become like Korah and his following.

41The next day, the entire community of Bnei-Yisrael grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You killed Adonai’s people!”

42But when they gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the Tent of Meeting, behold, the cloud covered it and the glory appeared!

43Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting.

44Adonai spoke to Moses saying,

45“Get away from among this assembly so that I may immediately consume them!” So they fell on their faces.