Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Korah—Izhar's son, Kohath's grandson, and Levi's great-grandson—with Dathan and Abiram, Eliab's sons, and On, Peleth's son, descendants of Reuben,
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Now Korah son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben—took
2 rose up against Moses, along with two hundred fifty Israelite men, leaders of the community, chosen by the assembly, men of reputation.
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two hundred fifty Israelite men, leaders of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men, and they confronted Moses.
3 They assembled against Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You've gone too far, because the entire community is holy, every last one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the LORD's assembly?"
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They assembled against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone too far! All the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. So why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?"
4 When Moses heard this, he fell on his face.
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When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.
5 He spoke to Korah and all his community, "In the morning the LORD will make known who is his, who is holy, and who is able to approach him. The one he chooses for himself is the one who will be able to approach him.
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Then he said to Korah and all his company, "In the morning the Lord will make known who is his, and who is holy, and who will be allowed to approach him; the one whom he will choose he will allow to approach him.
6 This is what must be done. Korah and your entire community: Take censers for yourselves.
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Do this: take censers, Korah and all your company,
7 Tomorrow put fire in them and place incense on them in the LORD's presence. The man whom the LORD chooses, that one is holy. You Levites have gone too far!"
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and tomorrow put fire in them, and lay incense on them before the Lord; and the man whom the Lord chooses shall be the holy one. You Levites have gone too far!"
8 Moses said to Korah, "Listen, you Levites,
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Then Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you Levites!
9 isn't it enough for you that Israel's God has separated you from the Israelite community to allow you to approach him, to perform the service of the LORD's dwelling, and to serve before the community by ministering for them?
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Is it too little for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to allow you to approach him in order to perform the duties of the Lord's tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation and serve them?
10 He has allowed you and all your fellow Levites with you to approach him. Yet you also seek the priesthood?
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He has allowed you to approach him, and all your brother Levites with you; yet you seek the priesthood as well!
11 Thus you and your entire community have assembled against the LORD. But Aaron, what is he that you complain about him?"
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Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against the Lord. What is Aaron that you rail against him?"
12 Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, Eliab's sons. But they said, "We won't come up!
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Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab; but they said, "We will not come!
13 Isn't it enough that you've brought us up from a land full of milk and honey to kill us in the desert so that you'd also dominate us?
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Is it too little that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also lord it over us?
14 Moreover, you haven't brought us to a land full of milk and honey, nor given us the inheritance of field and vineyard. Would you also gouge out the eyes of these men? We won't come up!"
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It is clear you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come!"
15 Moses became very angry and he said to the LORD, "Pay no attention to their offering. I haven't taken a single donkey from them, nor have I wronged any one of them."
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Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, "Pay no attention to their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed any one of them."
16 Moses said to Korah, "You and your entire community should appear before the LORD tomorrow, you, they, and Aaron.
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And Moses said to Korah, "As for you and all your company, be present tomorrow before the Lord, you and they and Aaron;
17 Every person should take his censer, place incense on it, and present it before the LORD. Each person will carry his censer, two hundred fifty censers in all, including you and Aaron."
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and let each one of you take his censer, and put incense on it, and each one of you present his censer before the Lord, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer."
18 Then every person took his censer, placed fire on it, put incense on it, and stood at the entrance of the meeting tent with Moses and Aaron.
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So each man took his censer, and they put fire in the censers and laid incense on them, and they stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19 Korah gathered the entire community with them to the entrance of the meeting tent. Then the LORD's glory appeared to the entire community.
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Then Korah assembled the whole congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole congregation.
20 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron,
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Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying:
21 "Separate yourselves from this community so that I may consume them in a moment."
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Separate yourselves from this congregation, so that I may consume them in a moment.
22 They fell on their faces and said, "God, the God of all living things. If one person sins, should you become angry with the entire community?"
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They fell on their faces, and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one person sin and you become angry with the whole congregation?"
23 The LORD said to Moses,
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And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
24 "Speak to the community and say, ‘Withdraw from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.'"
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Say to the congregation: Get away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
25 Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram. Israel's elders followed him.
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So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram; the elders of Israel followed him.
26 He spoke to the community: "Move away from the tents of these wicked men and don't touch anything of theirs, lest you too be wiped out for all their sins."
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He said to the congregation, "Turn away from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, or you will be swept away for all their sins."
27 They withdrew from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their tents with their wives, children, and little ones.
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So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their tents, together with their wives, their children, and their little ones.
28 Moses said, "By this you will know that the LORD sent me to do these deeds and that it wasn't my own desire.
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And Moses said, "This is how you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works; it has not been of my own accord:
29 If all these people die a natural death, or if their fate be that of all humans, then the LORD hasn't sent me.
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If these people die a natural death, or if a natural fate comes on them, then the Lord has not sent me.
30 But if the LORD performs an act of creation, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and everything that belongs to them, so that they descend alive to their graves, then you'll know that these men disrespected the LORD."
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But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up, with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord."
31 As soon as he finished speaking these words, the ground under them split open.
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As soon as he finished speaking all these words, the ground under them was split apart.
32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, including every human that belonged to Korah and all their possessions.
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The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, along with their households—everyone who belonged to Korah and all their goods.
33 They along with all their possessions descended alive to their graves, and the earth closed over them. They perished in the middle of the assembly.
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So they with all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol; the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
34 All the Israelites who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "The earth may swallow us."
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All Israel around them fled at their outcry, for they said, "The earth will swallow us too!"
35 Then fire went out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred fifty men offering incense.
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And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred fifty men offering the incense.
36 The LORD spoke to Moses:
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Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
37 Tell Eleazar, Aaron the priest's son, to raise the censers from the fire and scatter the ashes about, because they are holy.
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Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to take the censers out of the blaze; then scatter the fire far and wide.
38 Hammer the censers of those who sinned and lost their lives into thin plates for the altar. Since they presented them in the LORD's presence, they had become holy. They will be a sign for the Israelites.
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For the censers of these sinners have become holy at the cost of their lives. Make them into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they presented them before the Lord and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the Israelites.
39 Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers presented by those who had been consumed by fire and hammered them into a covering for the altar,
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So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers that had been presented by those who were burned; and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar—
40 just as the LORD instructed him through Moses. This was a reminder for the Israelites that no outsider who isn't one of Aaron's descendants should approach to burn incense in the LORD's presence, so as not to be like Korah and his community.
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a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, shall approach to offer incense before the Lord, so as not to become like Korah and his company—just as the Lord had said to him through Moses.
41 On the next day the entire Israelite community complained to Moses and Aaron, "You killed the LORD's people."
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On the next day, however, the whole congregation of the Israelites rebelled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of the Lord."
42 When the community assembled against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the meeting tent. At that moment the cloud covered it, and the LORD's glory appeared.
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And when the congregation had assembled against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the tent of meeting; the cloud had covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared.
43 Moses and Aaron came to the front of the meeting tent,
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Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting,
44 and the LORD spoke to Moses:
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and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
45 Get away from this community, so that I may consume them in an instant. They fell on their faces,
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"Get away from this congregation, so that I may consume them in a moment." And they fell on their faces.
46 and Moses said to Aaron, "Take the censer, put fire from the altar on it, place incense on it, go quickly to the community, and seek reconciliation for them. Indeed, the LORD's anger has gone out. The plague has begun."
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Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, put fire on it from the altar and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them. For wrath has gone out from the Lord; the plague has begun."
47 Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the middle of the assembly, for the plague had already begun among the people. He burned incense and sought reconciliation for the people.
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So Aaron took it as Moses had ordered, and ran into the middle of the assembly, where 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 stopped.
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He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stopped.
49 Those who died from the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who died because of Korah.
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Those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the affair of Korah.
50 Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the meeting tent once the plague stopped.
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When the plague was stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.