Numbers 16 – NIV & ASCB

New International Version

Numbers 16:1-50

Korah, Dathan and Abiram

1Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent16:1 Or Peleth—took men 2and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. 3They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

4When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. 5Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. 6You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers 7and tomorrow put burning coals and incense in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!”

8Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! 9Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? 10He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. 11It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?”

12Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come! 13Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you also want to lord it over us! 14Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Do you want to treat these men like slaves16:14 Or to deceive these men; Hebrew Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!”

15Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.”

16Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow—you and they and Aaron. 17Each man is to take his censer and put incense in it—250 censers in all—and present it before the Lord. You and Aaron are to present your censers also.” 18So each of them took his censer, put burning coals and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 19When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the entire assembly. 20The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 21“Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”

22But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?”

23Then the Lord said to Moses, 24“Say to the assembly, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’ ”

25Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.” 27So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents.

28Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: 29If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. 30But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.”

31As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. 34At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”

35And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

36The Lord said to Moses, 37“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy— 38the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites.”

39So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, 40as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the Lord, or he would become like Korah and his followers.

41The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.

42But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. 43Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, 44and the Lord said to Moses, 45“Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown.

46Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.” 47So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. 49But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. 50Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.16:50 In Hebrew texts 16:36-50 is numbered 17:1-15.

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

4 Mose 16:1-50

Kora Atuateɛ

1Ɛda koro bi Kora, Ishar a ɔyɛ Lewi babarima Kohat aseni ne Datan ne Abiram a wɔyɛ Eliab mmammarima ne On a ɔyɛ Pelet babarima a wɔn baasa no firi Ruben abusuakuo mu bɔɔ pɔ 2tiaa Mose. Na mpanimfoɔ atitire ahanu aduonum a wɔn nyinaa fra agyinatukuo no mu no ka ho. 3Wɔkɔɔ Mose ne Aaron hɔ kɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ. “Mo ahomasoɔ no amee yɛn; monnyɛ kronn nsene obiara. Awurade na wayi obiara a ɔwɔ Israel ha na ɔka yɛn nyinaa ho. Adɛn enti na moma mo ho so sene obiara wɔ ɛberɛ a yɛn nyinaa yɛ Awurade mma?”

4Mose tee saa asɛm yi no, ɔde nʼanim butuu fam. 5Ɔka kyerɛɛ Kora ne wɔn a wɔka ne ho no sɛ, “Anɔpa, Awurade bɛkyerɛ mo wɔn a wɔyɛ ne dea ne deɛ ɔyɛ kronkron ne deɛ wɔayi no sɛ ne ɔsɔfoɔ. 6Deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ nie: Wo, Kora, ne wɔn a wɔka wo ho, ɔkyena momfa aduhwamhyeɛ nkukuo 7na monhye aduhwam wɔ mu wɔ Awurade anim. Na yɛbɛhunu deɛ Awurade ayi no sɛ ne kronkronni. Afei deɛ, Lewifoɔ moayɛ ama aboro so.”

8Mose sane bisaa Kora sɛ, 9“Yi a Israel Onyankopɔn ayi wo afiri nnipa bebree mu ama woabɛn no pɛɛ no, a woyɛ Awurade Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan mu adwuma, na wotumi gyina nnipa anim yɛ asɔfodwuma no yɛ wo ade kumaa? 10Ɛnyɛ wo anisɔ sɛ ɔde saa adwuma yi ahyɛ Lewifoɔ nko ara nsa? Afei deɛ, woagyina pintinn sɛ woregye asɔfodwuma no ayɛ? 11Deɛ worehwehwɛ ara ne no! Ɛno enti na woreyɛ dɔm atia Awurade. Na ɛdeɛn na Aaron ayɛ a wompɛ?”

12Afei Mose frɛɛ Eliab mmammarima Datan ne Abiram, nanso wɔankɔ. 13Wɔkaa sɛ, “Wosusu sɛ ɛyɛ asɛnketewa sɛ wode yɛn firi yɛn asase pa Misraim so de yɛn aba ɛserɛ so sɛ worebɛkum yɛn, na afei, wopɛ sɛ wodi yɛn so ɔhene? 14Afei, womfaa yɛn mmaa asase pa a wohyɛɛ yɛn ho bɔ no so, ɛnna nso wommaa yɛn asase biara a yɛnyɛ so adwuma. Hwan na worepɛ no abu no kwasea? Yɛremma”.

15Mose bo fuiɛ na ɔka kyerɛɛ Awurade sɛ, “Nnye wɔn afɔrebɔdeɛ biara! Menwiaa wɔn afunumu baako mpo na menyɛɛ wɔn mu biara bɔne bi.”

16Mose ka kyerɛɛ Kora sɛ, “Ɔkyena wo ne wo nnamfonom nyinaa mmra Awurade anim wɔ ha. Aaron nso bɛba ha bi. 17Monkae na momfa mo aduhwamhyeɛ nkukuo a aduhwam gu so mmra. Obiara mfa aduhwamhyeɛ kukuo mmra. Ne nyinaa dodoɔ yɛ ahanu aduonum, na momfa mmrɛ Awurade. Na Aaron nso de ne deɛ bɛba ha bi.” 18Enti wɔyɛɛ saa. Wɔde wɔn aduhwamhyeɛ nkukuo baeɛ. Wɔsɔɔ ano de aduhwam guu so na wɔne Mose ne Aaron bɛgyinagyinaa Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan no ano. 19Na Kora ahwanyane ɔman no nyinaa atia Mose ne Aaron enti, na wɔn nyinaa aboa wɔn ho ano rehwɛ. Afei, Awurade de animuonyam baa nnipa no nyinaa so 20na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose ne Aaron sɛ, 21“Montwe mo ho mfiri saa nnipa yi ho na manya ɛkwan asɛe wɔn ntɛm.”

22Nanso, Mose ne Aaron de wɔn anim butubutuu fam wɔ Awurade anim. Wɔsrɛɛ sɛ, “Ao, Onyankopɔn, amansan nyinaa Onyankopɔn, sɛ onipa baako yɛ bɔne a, na ɛsɛ sɛ wo bo fu nnipa no nyinaa?”

23Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ, 24“Ɛnneɛ ka kyerɛ nnipa no na wɔmfiri Kora, Datan ne Abiram ntomadan no mu.”

25Enti, Mose yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Datan ne Abiram ntomadan no mu a Israel mpanimfoɔ ahanu aduonum di nʼakyi. Ɔka kyerɛɛ nnipa no sɛ, 26“Ntɛm, momfiri saa nnipabɔnefoɔ yi ntomadan mu na mommfa mo nsa nka wɔn biribiara. Sɛ moyɛ saa a, wɔde mo bɛka wɔn bɔne a wɔayɛ no ho na wɔbɛsɛe mo ne wɔn nyinaa.” 27Enti, nnipa no firii Kora, Datan ne Abiram ntomadan no mu kɔgyinagyinaa akyire. Ɛnna Datan ne Abiram nso ne wɔn yerenom ne wɔn mma bɛgyinagyinaa wɔn ntomadan no akwan ano.

28Mose kaa sɛ, “Ɛnam yei so bɛma moahunu sɛ, Awurade na ɔsomaa me sɛ menyɛ deɛ mayɛ yi nyinaa. Ɛnyɛ me ara me tumi mu na mefiri yɛɛ saa. 29Sɛ owuo nko ara na ɛbɛto saa nnipa yi, anaa sɛ wɔhunu deɛ ɛtaa ba nnipa so nko ara a, na ɛnyɛ Awurade na wasoma me. 30Na sɛ Awurade nam anwanwakwan so pae asase mu ma emu bue na ɛmene wɔn ne wɔn ahodeɛ na sɛ wɔkɔ asamando anikann a, ɛbɛma moahunu sɛ, saa nnipa yi bu Awurade animtia.”

31Wankasa anwie koraa, asase a ɛwɔ wɔn ase no mu paee prɛko pɛ, 32na ɛmenee wɔn ne wɔn ntomadan, wɔn abusuafoɔ, wɔn nnamfonom a na wɔgyinagyina wɔn ho ne wɔn agyapadeɛ nyinaa. 33Enti, wɔwuraa asase mu anikann kɔɔ asamando na asase no sane ka too mu ma wɔyeraeɛ. 34Israelfoɔ nyinaa de nteateamu dwaneeɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, “Nna wɔsuro sɛ asase no bɛmene wɔn nso!”

35Afei, ogya firi Awurade nkyɛn bɛhyee nnipa ahanu aduonum a na wɔrehye aduhwam no nyinaa.

36Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ, 37“Ka kyerɛ ɔsɔfoɔ Aaron babarima Eleasa sɛ ɔnyi aduhwamhyeɛ nkukuo no mfiri ogya no mu, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ kronkron, na ɔnyi gyasramma no 38mfiri saa nnipa a wɔayɛ bɔne awu no aduhwamhyeɛ nkukuo no aseɛ. Ɔbɛboro aduhwamhyeɛ nkukuo no ama ayɛ trawa na ɔde akata afɔrebukyia no so. Saa aduhwamhyeɛ nkukuo yi yɛ kronkron, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔde adi dwuma wɔ Awurade anim. Na afɔrebukyia no nkatasoɔ yi bɛyɛ kɔkɔbɔ ama Israelfoɔ.”

39Enti, ɔsɔfoɔ Eleasa faa aduhwamhyeɛ nkukuo ahanu aduonum no na ɔboro ma ɛyɛɛ ntrawa na ɔde kataa afɔrebukyia no so, 40na Israelfoɔ no nam so akae sɛ obiara a wɔmmaa no ho kwan anaa ɔmfiri Aaron ase no, ɔnni ho kwan sɛ ɔba Awurade anim bɛhye aduhwam. Sɛ ɔyɛ saa a, asɛm a ɛtoo Kora ne nʼahokafoɔ no bi bɛto no. Sei na Mose yɛɛ deɛ Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ no.

41Adeɛ kyee anɔpa no, nnipa no nyinaa firii aseɛ nwiinwii tiaa Mose ne Aaron sɛ, “Moakum Awurade nkurɔfoɔ.”

42Ankyɛre koraa, nnipa no nyinaa boaa wɔn ho ano. Wɔgu so rehwɛ Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan no, prɛko pɛ, omununkum no pueeɛ ma wɔhunuu Awurade animuonyam nwanwaso no. 43Mose ne Aaron bɛgyinaa Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan no kwan ano, 44na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose sɛ, 45“Twe wo ho firi saa nnipa yi mu na matumi asɛe wɔn prɛko pɛ.” Nanso, Mose ne Aaron de wɔn anim butubutuu fam wɔ Awurade anim.

46Na Mose ka kyerɛɛ Aaron sɛ, “Ntɛm, fa aduhwamhyeɛ kukuo no na yi ogya firi afɔrebukyia no so gu mu. Fa aduhwam gu so na fa fa nnipa no mu ntɛm so fa kɔyɛ mpatadeɛ ma wɔn, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade abufuo aduru wɔn so. Ɔyaredɔm no afiri aseɛ.” 47Aaron yɛɛ deɛ Mose hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ no, na ɔtuu mmirika faa nnipa no mu. Na ɔyaredɔm no aba ampa, na ɔhyee aduhwam no de yɛɛ mpatadeɛ maa wɔn. 48Na ɔgyinaa ateasefoɔ ne awufoɔ ntam, na ɔyaredɔm no gyaeeɛ, 49nanso, na nnipa mpem dunan ne ahanson awuwu dada abɛka wɔn a wɔne Kora wuwuiɛ ɛda a ɛdi animu no ho. 50Ɔyaredɔm no gyaeeɛ no, Aaron sane kɔɔ Mose nkyɛn wɔ Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan no ano.