Numbers 16

vayyiqqakh qorakh ben-yitshar ben-qehat ben-levi vedatan va'aviram bene eli'av ve'on ben-pelet bene re'uven

Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, betook himself, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben—

vayyaqumu lifne mosheh va'anashim mibbene-yisra'el khamishim umatayim nesi'e edah qeri'e mo'ed anshe-shem

to rise up against Moses, together with certain other Israelites, two hundred and fifty of them: chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of repute.

vayyiqqahalu al-mosheh ve'al-aharon vayyomeru alehem rav-lakhem ki khol-ha'edah kullam qedoshim uvetokham Adonai umaddua titnasse'u al-qehal Adonai

They combined against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and GOD is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above GOD’s congregation?”

vayyishma mosheh vayyippol al-panayw

When Moses heard this, he fell on his face.

vayedabber el-qorakh ve'el-kol-adato lemor boqer veyoda Adonai et-asher-lo ve'et-haqqadosh vehiqriv elayw ve'et asher yivkhar-bo yaqriv elayw

Then he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Come morning, GOD will make known who is to serve, and who is holy, by granting direct access—whoever is chosen will be granted access.

zot asu qekhu-lakhem makhtot qorakh vekhol-adato

Do this: You, Korah and all your band, take fire pans,

utenu vahen esh vesimu alehen qetoret lifne Adonai makhar vehayah ha'ish asher-yivkhar Adonai hu haqqadosh rav-lakhem bene levi

and tomorrow put fire in them and lay incense on them before GOD. Then the man whom GOD chooses, he shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!”

vayyomer mosheh el-qorakh shimu-na bene levi

Moses said further to Korah, “Hear me, sons of Levi.

hame'at mikkem ki-hivdil elohe yisra'el etkhem me'adat yisra'el lehaqriv etkhem elayw la'avod et-avodat mishkan Adonai vela'amod lifne ha'edah lesharetam

Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has set you apart from the community of Israel and given you direct access, to perform the duties of GOD’s Tabernacle and to minister to the community and serve them?

vayyaqrev otekha ve'et-kol-akhekha vene-levi ittakh uviqqashtem gam-kehunnah

Now that [God] has advanced you and all your fellow Levites with you, do you seek the priesthood too?

lakhen attah vekhol-adatekha hanno'adim al-Adonai ve'aharon mah-hu ki (tlvnv) [tallinu] alayw

Truly, it is against GOD that you and all your company have banded together. For who is Aaron that you should rail against him?”

vayyishlakh mosheh liqro ledatan vela'aviram bene eli'av vayyomeru lo na'aleh

Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come!

hame'at ki he'elitanu me'erets zavat khalav udevash lahamitenu bammidbar ki-tistarer alenu gam-histarer

Is it not enough that you brought us from a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, that you would also lord it over us?

af lo el-erets zavat khalav udevash havi'otanu vattitten-lanu nakhalat sadeh vakharem ha'ene ha'anashim hahem tenaqqer lo na'aleh

Even if you had brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and given us possession of fields and vineyards, should you gouge out the eyes of those involved? We will not come!”

vayyikhar lemosheh me'od vayyomer el-Adonai al-tefen el-minkhatam lo khamor ekhad mehem nasati velo hare'oti et-akhad mehem

Moses was much aggrieved and he said to GOD, “Pay no regard to their oblation. I have not taken the donkey of any one of them, nor have I wronged any one of them.”

vayyomer mosheh el-qorakh attah vekhol-adatekha heyu lifne Adonai attah vahem ve'aharon makhar

And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company appear before GOD, you and they and Aaron.

uqekhu ish makhtato unetattem alehem qetoret vehiqravtem lifne Adonai ish makhtato khamishim umatayim makhtot ve'attah ve'aharon ish makhtato

Each of you take your fire pan and lay incense on it, and each of you bring that fire pan before GOD, two hundred and fifty fire pans; you and Aaron also [bring] your fire pans.”

vayyiqkhu ish makhtato vayyittenu alehem esh vayyasimu alehem qetoret vayya'amdu petakh ohel mo'ed umosheh ve'aharon

They each took their fire pan, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and took a place at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, as did Moses and Aaron.

vayyaqhel alehem qorakh et-kol-ha'edah el-petakh ohel mo'ed vayyera khevod-Adonai el-kol-ha'edah

Korah gathered the whole community against them at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Then the Presence of GOD appeared to the whole community,

vayedabber Adonai el-mosheh ve'el-aharon lemor

and GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

hibbadelu mittokh ha'edah hazzot va'akhalleh otam keraga

“Stand back from this community that I may annihilate them in an instant!”

vayyippelu al-penehem vayyomeru el elohe harukhot lekhol-basar ha'ish ekhad yekheta ve'al kol-ha'edah tiqtsof

But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, Source of the breath of all flesh! When one member sins, will You be wrathful with the whole community?”

vayedabber Adonai el-mosheh lemor

GOD spoke to Moses, saying,

dabber el-ha'edah lemor he'alu missaviv lemishkan-qorakh datan va'aviram

“Speak to the community and say: Withdraw from about the abodes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

vayyaqom mosheh vayyelekh el-datan va'aviram vayyelekhu akharayw ziqne yisra'el

Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, the elders of Israel following him.

vayedabber el-ha'edah lemor suru na me'al ohole ha'anashim haresha'im ha'elleh ve'al-tigge'u bekhol-asher lahem pen-tissafu bekhol-khattotam

He addressed the community, saying, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing that belongs to them, lest you be wiped out for all their sins.”

vayye'alu me'al mishkan-qorakh datan va'aviram missaviv vedatan va'aviram yatse'u nitsavim petakh oholehem uneshehem uvenehem vetappam

So they withdrew from about the abodes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Now Dathan and Abiram had come out and they stood at the entrance of their tents, with their wives, their adult children, and their little ones.

vayyomer mosheh bezot tede'un ki-Adonai shelakhani la'asot et kol-hamma'asim ha'elleh ki-lo millibbi

And Moses said, “By this you shall know that it was GOD who sent me to do all these things; that they are not of my own devising:

im-kemot kol-ha'adam yemutun elleh ufequddat kol-ha'adam yippaqed alehem lo Adonai shelakhani

if these people’s death is that of all humankind, if their lot is humankind’s common fate, it was not GOD who sent me.

ve'im-beri'ah yivra Adonai ufatsetah ha'adamah et-piha uvale'ah otam ve'et-kol-asher lahem veyaredu khayyim she'olah vidatem ki ni'atsu ha'anashim ha'elleh et-Adonai

But if GOD brings about something unheard-of, so that the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, you shall know that those involved have spurned GOD.”

vayehi kekhalloto ledabber et kol-haddevarim ha'elleh vattibbaqa ha'adamah asher takhtehem

Scarcely had he finished speaking all these words when the ground under them burst asunder,

vattiftakh ha'arets et-piha vattivla otam ve'et-battehem ve'et kol-ha'adam asher leqorakh ve'et kol-harekhush

and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all Korah’s people and all their possessions.

vayyeredu hem vekhol-asher lahem khayyim she'olah vattekhas alehem ha'arets vayyovedu mittokh haqqahal

They went down alive into Sheol, with all that belonged to them; the earth closed over them and they vanished from the midst of the congregation.

vekhol-yisra'el asher sevivotehem nasu leqolam ki ameru pen-tivla'enu ha'arets

All Israel around them fled at their shrieks, for they said, “The earth might swallow us!”

ve'esh yatse'ah me'et Adonai vattokhal et hakhamishim umatayim ish maqrive haqqetoret

And a fire went forth from GOD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense.