1 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. 2 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. 3 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 Yahweh is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above Yahweh’s assembly?"
4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face. 5 He said to Korah and to all his company, "In the morning, Yahweh 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. 6 Do this: have Korah and all his company take censers, 7 put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom Yahweh chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!"
8 Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi! 9 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 Yahweh’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 10 and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also? 11 Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against Yahweh! What is Aaron that you complain against him?"
12 Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, "We won’t come up! 13 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? 14 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."
15 Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, "Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them."
16 Moses said to Korah, "You and all your company go before Yahweh, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17 Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before Yahweh his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer."
18 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. 19 Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the congregation. 20 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21 "Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!"
22 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?"
23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 "Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’"
25 Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 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!"
27 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.
28 Moses said, "Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind. 29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then Yahweh hasn’t sent me. 30 But if Yahweh 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, then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh."
31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods. 33 So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34 All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up!" 35 Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
36 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 37 "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, 38 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 Yahweh. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel."
39 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, 40 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 Yahweh, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses.
41 But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You have killed Yahweh’s people!"
42 When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and Yahweh’s glory appeared. 43 Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting. 44 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 "Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!" They fell on their faces.
46 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 Yahweh! The plague has begun."
47 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. 48 He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the matter of Korah. 50 Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.
1 利未的曾孙、哥辖的孙子、以斯哈的儿子可拉， 和流本子孙中以利押的儿子大坍、亚比兰， 与比勒的儿子安， 带着人来，
2 反抗摩西， 还有以色列人中的二百五十个人， 就是会众的领袖； 会众中被选出有名望的人。
3 他们聚集起来反抗摩西和亚伦， 对他们说： "你们太过分了， 全体会众个个都是圣洁的， 耶和华也在他们中间， 你们为什么高抬自己， 超过耶和华的会众呢？"
4 摩西听见了， 就脸伏于地，
5 对可拉和他的同党说： "到了早晨， 耶和华就要使人知道谁是属他的； 谁是圣洁的， 就叫谁亲近他； 谁是他拣选的， 就叫谁亲近他。
6 你们要这样作： 可拉和你的同党， 你们要拿香炉来；
7 明天你们要在耶和华面前， 把火盛在炉中， 把香放在上面； 耶和华拣选谁， 谁就是圣洁的， 你们利未人太过分了。"
8 摩西又对可拉说： "利未人哪， 请听。
9 以色列的 神把你们从以色列会众中分别出来， 使你们亲近他， 办理耶和华帐幕的事务， 又站在会众面前替他们供职；
10 耶和华又使你和你所有的兄弟， 就是利未的子孙， 一同亲近他， 这在你们看来是小事吗？你们还要寻求祭司职分吗？
11 所以你和你的同党聚集起来反抗耶和华； 亚伦算什么呢？你们竟向他发怨言。"
12 摩西派人去把以利押的儿子大坍和亚比兰叫来； 他们说： "我们不上去。
13 你把我们从流奶与蜜的地带上来， 要在旷野杀死我们， 这算小事吗？你还要自立为王管辖我们吗？
14 况且你没有把我们领到流奶与蜜的地， 也没有把田地和葡萄园给我们作产业。难道你要把这些人的眼睛剜出来吗？我们不上去。"
15 于是摩西大怒， 对耶和华说： "求你不要悦纳他们的礼物， 我没有夺过他们一头驴， 也没有害过他们一个人。"
16 摩西对可拉说： "明天你和你的同党， 以及亚伦， 都要站在耶和华面前。
17 你们各人要拿着自己的香炉， 把香盛在上面； 你们各人要把自己的香炉带到耶和华面前， 共二百五十个香炉； 你和亚伦也各人拿着自己的香炉。"
18 于是， 他们各人拿着自己的香炉， 盛上火， 加上香， 与摩西和亚伦一同站在会幕门口。
19 可拉召聚了全体会众到会幕门口， 来攻击摩西和亚伦， 耶和华的荣光就向全体会众显现。
20 耶和华对摩西和亚伦说：
21 "你们要离开这会众， 我好在眨眼间把他们吞灭。"
22 摩西和亚伦就俯伏在地， 说： " 神啊， 万人之灵的 神啊， 一人犯罪， 你就要向全体会众发怒吗？"
23 耶和华对摩西说：
24 "你要吩咐会众说： ‘你们要离开可拉、大坍、亚比兰帐幕的四周。’"
25 于是摩西起来， 到大坍和亚比兰那里去； 以色列的长老也随着他去了。
26 摩西告诉会众： "你们要远离这些恶人的帐幕， 凡是他们的东西， 你们都不可摸， 免得你们因他们的一切罪恶同遭毁灭。"
27 于是， 众人离开了可拉、大坍、亚比兰帐幕的四周； 大坍、亚比兰就带着妻子、儿女和小孩出来， 站在自己的帐幕门口。
28 摩西说： "由此你们可以知道， 我作这一切事， 是耶和华派我作的， 并不是出于我自己的心意。
29 如果这些人死亡像一般人死亡一样， 或是他们所遭遇的像一般人的遭遇一样， 那么就不是耶和华派我来的。
30 如果耶和华作一件新事， 使地开口， 把他们和他们所有的都吞下去， 叫他们活活地下到阴间， 这样你们就知道这些人是藐视耶和华了。"
31 摩西说完了这一切话， 他们脚下的地就裂开。
32 地开了口， 把他们和他们的家眷， 以及一切属可拉的人和财物， 都吞了下去。
33 这样， 他们和一切属他们的， 都活活地下到阴间， 地在他们上面合闭， 他们就从会众中灭亡了。
34 在他们四周的以色列众人， 听见他们的呼叫， 就都逃跑， 说： "恐怕地也把我们吞下去。"
35 又有火从耶和华那里出来， 把那献香的二百五十个人吞灭了。
36 耶和华对摩西说：
37 "你要吩咐亚伦祭司的儿子以利亚撒， 叫他把那些香炉从火中拾起来， 把火撒在别处， 因为那些香炉是圣的；
38 那些自害己命的人的香炉也是圣的， 你们要把它们锤成薄片， 用来包盖祭坛； 那些香炉本是他们在耶和华面前献过的， 所以已经成为圣的， 并且可以给以色列作鉴戒。"
39 于是， 以利亚撒祭司把被火焚烧的人献过的铜香炉拿起来， 叫人锤成薄片， 用来包盖祭坛，
40 给以色列人作鉴戒， 叫不是亚伦子孙的外人， 不可近前来， 在耶和华面前烧香， 免得他像可拉和他的同党有一样的遭遇； 这是照着耶和华借摩西吩咐以利亚撒的。
41 第二天， 以色列全体会众都向摩西和亚伦发怨言， 说： "你们害死了耶和华的子民。"
42 会众聚集攻击摩西和亚伦的时候， 他们转身向会幕观看， 见有云彩遮盖会幕， 耶和华的荣光显现出来。
43 摩西和亚伦就来到会幕前面。
44 耶和华吩咐摩西说：
45 "你们要离开这会众， 我好在眨眼间把他们消灭。"他们二人就俯伏在地。
46 摩西对亚伦说： "你要拿着香炉， 把坛上的火盛在里头， 又加上香， 快快带到会众那里去， 为他们赎罪， 因为有震怒从耶和华面前出来， 瘟疫已经开始了。"
47 亚伦照着摩西吩咐的把香炉拿来， 跑到会众中间， 果然， 瘟疫已经在人民中间开始了； 他就加上香， 为人民赎罪。
48 他站在死人与活人中间， 瘟疫就止住了。
49 除了因可拉事件死亡的以外， 因瘟疫死亡的有一万四千七百人。
50 亚伦回到会幕门口摩西那里， 瘟疫已经止住了。（本章第36-50节在《马索拉抄本》为17:1-15）