Now Qarun1 son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 2and they rose up before Musa, with certain of Bani-Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown; 3and they assembled themselves together against Musa and against Harun, and said to them, “You take too much on you, seeing all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and YAHWEH is among them: why then lift yourselves up above the assembly of YAHWEH?”
4When Musa heard it, he fell on his face: 5and he spoke to Qarun and to all his company, saying, “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 will he cause to come near to him. 6This do: take censers, Qarun, and all his company; 7and put fire in them, and put incense on them before YAHWEH tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom YAHWEH does choose, he shall be holy: you take too much on you, you sons of Levi.”
8Musa said to Qarun, “Hear now, you sons of Levi: 9seems it but 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 the tent of YAHWEH, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 10and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also? 11Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against YAHWEH: and Harun, what is he who you murmur against him?”
12Musa sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We will not come up: 13is 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 must you also make yourself a prince over us? 14Moreover you have not 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 will not come up.”
15Musa was very angry, and said to YAHWEH, “Do not respect their offering: I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”
16Musa said to Qarun, “You and all your company go before YAHWEH, you, and they, and Harun, tomorrow: 17and take every man his censer, and put incense on them, and bring before YAHWEH every man his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Harun, each his censer.” 18They took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Musa and Harun. 19Qarun assembled all the congregation against them to the door of the tent of meeting: and the glory of YAHWEH appeared to all the congregation. 20YAHWEH spoke to Musa and to Harun, saying, 21“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”
22They fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”
23YAHWEH spoke to Musa, saying, 24“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Qarun, Dathan, and Abiram.'”
25Musa rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26He 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.” 27So they moved away from the tent of Qarun, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.
28Musa said, “Hereby you shall know that YAHWEH has sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of my own mind. 29If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then YAHWEH has not sent me. 30But if YAHWEH make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down alive into the grave; then you shall understand that these men have despised YAHWEH.”
31It happened, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them; 32and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who sided with Qarun, and all their goods. 33So they, and all sided with them, went down alive into the grave: and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34All Israel that were around them fled at their cries; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up.”
35Fire came forth from YAHWEH, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
36YAHWEH spoke to Musa, saying, 37“Speak to Eleazar son of Harun the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire yonder; for they are holy, 38even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before YAHWEH; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to Bani-Israel.”
39Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, 40to be a memorial to Bani-Israel, to the end that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Harun, comes near to burn incense before YAHWEH; that he not be as Qarun, and as his company: as YAHWEH spoke to him by Musa.
41But on the next day all the congregation of Bani-Israel murmured against Musa and against Harun, saying, “You have killed the people of YAHWEH.”
42It happened, when the congregation was assembled against Musa and against Harun, that they looked toward the tent of meeting: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of YAHWEH appeared. 43Musa and Harun came to the front of the tent of meeting. 44YAHWEH spoke to Musa, saying, 45“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” They fell on their faces.
46Musa said to Harun, “Take your censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from YAHWEH; the plague has begun.” 47Harun took it as Musa spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was moving among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Qarun. 50Harun returned to Musa to the door of the tent of meeting: and the plague was stayed.
- Qarun, also known as Korah. ↩︎