The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Numbers 16

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Torah

Numbers chapter 16 — part of the Torah in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “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…” — the complete text of all 35 verses is below, free to read online.

1Now 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 men;

2and they rose up in face of Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty men; they were princes of the congregation, the elect men of the assembly, men of renown;

3and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them: 'Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and HaShem is among them; wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of HaShem?'

4And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face.

5And he spoke unto Korah and unto all his company, saying: 'In the morning HaShem will show who are His, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him; even him whom He may choose will He cause to come near unto Him.

6This do: take you censors, Korah, and all his company;

7and put fire therein, and put incense upon them before HaShem to-morrow; and it shall be that the man whom HaShem doth choose, he shall be holy; ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.'

8And Moses said unto Korah: 'Hear now, ye sons of Levi:

9is it but a small thing unto you, that the G-d of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of HaShem, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them;

10and that He hath brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee? and will ye seek the priesthood also?

11Therefore thou and all thy company that are gathered together against HaShem--; and as to Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?'

12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said: 'We will not come up;

13is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must needs make thyself also a prince over us?

14Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards; wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.'

15And Moses was very wroth, and said unto HaShem: 'Respect not thou their offering; I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.'

16And Moses said unto Korah: 'Be thou and all thy congregation before HaShem, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow;

17and take ye every man his fire-pan, and put incense upon them, and bring ye before HaShem every man his fire-pan, two hundred and fifty fire-pans; thou also, and Aaron, each his fire-pan.'

18And they took every man his fire-pan, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.

19And Korah assembled all the congregation against them unto the door of the tent of meeting; and the glory of HaShem appeared unto all the congregation.

20And HaShem spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:

21'Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.'

22And they fell upon their faces, and said: 'O G-d, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be wroth with all the congregation?'

23And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:

24'Speak unto the congregation, saying: Get you up from about the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.'

25And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

26And he spoke unto the congregation, saying: 'Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be swept away in all their sins.'

27So they got them up from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.

28And Moses said: 'Hereby ye shall know that HaShem hath sent me to do all these works, and that I have not done them of mine own mind.

29If these men die the common death of all men, and be visited after the visitation of all men, then HaShem hath not sent Me.

30But if HaShem make a new thing, and the ground open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into the pit, then ye shall understand that these men have despised HaShem.'

31And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground did cleave asunder that was under them.

32And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

33So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit; and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly.

34And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said: 'Lest the earth swallow us up.'

35And fire came forth from HaShem, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

35 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

‹ Numbers 15 Numbers 17 ›

Read, search & bookmark — free

This text opens instantly in the FourFaiths reader, with full-text search across every book, bookmarks saved in your browser, reading plans and a verse of the day. No account, no tracking — everything runs locally in your browser.

Open in the Tanakh reader →