Korach - The Mouth of the Earth

(20) The Eternal spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, (21) “Stand back from this community that I may annihilate them in an instant!” (22) But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, Source of the breath of all flesh! When one person sins, will You be wrathful with the whole community?” (23) The Eternal spoke to Moses, saying, (24) “Speak to the community and say: Withdraw from about the abodes of Korach, Datan, and Aviram.” (25) Moses rose and went to Datan and Aviram, the elders of Israel following him. (26) 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.” (27) So they withdrew from about the abodes of Korach, Datan, and Aviram. Now Datan and Aviram had come out and they stood at the entrance of their tents, with their wives, their children, and their little ones. (28) And Moses said, “By this you shall know that it was the Eternal who sent me to do all these things; that they are not of my own devising: (29) if these men die as all men do, if their lot be the common fate of all humanity, it was not the Eternal who sent me. (30) But if the Eternal 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 these men have spurned the Eternal.” (31) Scarcely had he finished speaking all these words when the ground under them burst asunder, (32) and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all Korach’s people and all their possessions. (33) 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. (34) All Israel around them fled at their shrieks, for they said, “The earth might swallow us!” (35) And a fire went forth from the Eternal and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense.