20. They met Moses and AARON, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh:

21. and they said to them, "May the LORD look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

2. The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against AARON in the wilderness;

3. and the children of Israel said to them, "We wish that we had died by The LORD's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

4. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from the sky for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law, or not.

5. It shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily."

6. Moses and AARON said to all the children of Israel, "At evening, then you shall know that the LORD has brought you out from the land of Egypt;

7. and in the morning, then you shall see The LORD's glory; because he hears your murmurings against The LORD. Who are we, that you murmur against us?"

8. Moses said, "Now the LORD shall give you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to satisfy you; because the LORD hears your murmurings which you murmur against him. And who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against The LORD."

9. Moses said to AARON, "Tell all the congregation of the children of Israel, 'Come near before The LORD, for he has heard your murmurings.'"

10. As AARON spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, The LORD's glory appeared in the cloud.

2. All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against AARON. The whole congregation said to them, "We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness!

3. Why does the LORD bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn't it be better for us to return into Egypt?"

4. They said to one another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt."

5. Then Moses and AARON fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6. Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.

7. They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land.

8. If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey.

9. Only don't rebel against The LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and the LORD is with us. Don't fear them."

10. But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones.The LORD's glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel.

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 the LORD is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above The LORD'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, the LORD 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: take censers, Korah, and all his company;

7. and put fire in them, and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom the LORD 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 The LORD'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 The LORD! What is AARON that you murmur 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 The LORD, "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 The LORD, you, and they, and AARON, tomorrow.

17. Each man take his censer, and put incense on them, and each man bring before the LORD his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and AARON, each his censer."

18. They each took his censer, and put fire in them, 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.The LORD's glory appeared to all the congregation.

20. The LORD 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. The LORD 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 the LORD 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 the LORD hasn't sent me.

30. But if the LORD 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 The LORD."

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 The LORD, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

36. The LORD 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 these sinners against their own lives. Let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before The LORD. 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 The LORD, that he not be as Korah, and as his company; as the LORD spoke to him by Moses.

41. But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against AARON, saying, "You have killed The LORD's people!"

There was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against AARON.