(20) and יהוה 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 member sins, will You be wrathful with the whole community?” (23) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying, (24) “Speak to the community and say: Withdraw from about the abodes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” (25) Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, 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 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.

(28) And Moses said, “By this you shall know that it was יהוה who sent me to do all these things; that they are not of my own devising: (29) if these people’s death is that of all humankind, if their lot is humankind’s common fate, it was not יהוה who sent me. (30) But if יהוה 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 יהוה.” (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 Korah’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 יהוה and consumed the two hundred and fifty contestants offering the incense.

(1) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Order Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the fire pans—for they have become sacred—from among the charred remains; and scatter the coals abroad. (3) [Remove] the fire pans of those who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and let them be made into hammered sheets as plating for the altar—for once they have been used for offering to יהוה, they have become sacred—and let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel. (4) Eleazar the priest took the copper fire pans which had been used for offering by those who died in the fire; and they were hammered into plating for the altar, (5) as יהוה had ordered him through Moses. It was to be a reminder to the Israelites, so that no outsider—one not of Aaron’s offspring—should presume to offer incense before יהוה and suffer the fate of Korah and his band.

(6) Next day the whole Israelite community railed against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You two have brought death upon יהוה’s people!” (7) But as the community gathered against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the Tent of Meeting; the cloud had covered it and the Presence of יהוה appeared. (8) When Moses and Aaron reached the Tent of Meeting,

(9) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying, (10) “Remove yourselves from this community, that I may annihilate them in an instant.” They fell on their faces. (11) Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take the fire pan, and put on it fire from the altar. Add incense and take it quickly to the community and make expiation for them. For wrath has gone forth from יהוה: the plague has begun!” (12) Aaron took it, as Moses had ordered, and ran to the midst of the congregation, where the plague had begun among the people. He put on the incense and made expiation for the people; (13) he stood between the dead and the living until the plague was checked. (14) Those who died of the plague came to fourteen thousand and seven hundred, aside from those who died on account of Korah. (15) Aaron then returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, since the plague was checked.

(16) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying: (17) Speak to the Israelite people and take from them—from the chieftains of their ancestral houses —one staff for each chieftain of an ancestral house: twelve staffs in all. Inscribe each one’s name on his staff, (18) there being one staff for each head of an ancestral house; also inscribe Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. (19) Deposit them in the Tent of Meeting before the Pact, where I meet with you. (20) The staff of the candidate whom I choose shall sprout, and I will rid Myself of the incessant mutterings of the Israelites against you.

(21) Moses spoke thus to the Israelites. Their chieftains gave him a staff for each chieftain of an ancestral house, twelve staffs in all; among these staffs was that of Aaron. (22) Moses deposited the staffs before יהוה, in the Tent of the Pact. (23) The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Pact, and there the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had sprouted: it had brought forth sprouts, produced blossoms, and borne almonds. (24) Moses then brought out all the staffs from before יהוה to all the Israelites; each identified and recovered his staff.

(9) On the sabbath day: two yearling lambs without blemish, together with two-tenths of a measure of choice flour with oil mixed in as a meal offering, and with the proper libation— (10) a burnt offering for every sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its libation. (11) On your new moons you shall present a burnt offering to יהוה: two bulls of the herd, one ram, and seven yearling lambs, without blemish. (12) As meal offering for each bull: three-tenths of a measure of choice flour with oil mixed in. As meal offering for each ram: two-tenths of a measure of choice flour with oil mixed in. (13) As meal offering for each lamb: a tenth of a measure of fine flour with oil mixed in. Such shall be the burnt offering of pleasing odor, an offering by fire to יהוה. (14) Their libations shall be: half a hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a quarter of a hin for a lamb. That shall be the monthly burnt offering for each new moon of the year. (15) And there shall be one goat as a sin offering to יהוה, to be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its libation.

(1) Thus said GOD:The heaven is My throneAnd the earth is My footstool:Where could you build a house for Me,What place could serve as My abode? (2) All this was made by My hand,And thus it all came into being—declares GOD.Yet to such a one I look:To the poor and brokenhearted,Who is concerned about My word. (3) As for those who slaughter oxen and slay humans,Who sacrifice sheep and immolate dogs,Who present as oblation the blood of swine,Who offer incense and worship false gods—Just as they have chosen their waysAnd take pleasure in their abominations, (4) So will I choose to mock them,To bring on them the very thing they dread.For I called and none responded,I spoke and none paid heed.They did what I deem evilAnd chose what I do not want. (5) Hear the word of GOD,You who are concerned about God’s word!Your own kindred who hate you,Who spurn you because of Me, are saying,“Let GOD manifest the divine Presence,So that we may look upon your joy.”But theirs shall be the shame. (6) Hark, tumult from the city,Thunder from the temple!It is GOD’s thunder As retribution is dealt to the foe. (7) Before she labored, she was delivered;Before her pangs came, she bore a son. (8) Who ever heard the like?Who ever witnessed such events?Can a land pass through travailIn a single day?Or is a nation bornAll at once?Yet Zion travailedAnd at once bore her children! (9) Shall I who bring on labor not bring about birth?—says GOD.Shall I who cause birth shut the womb?—said your God. (10) Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,All you who love her!Join in her jubilation,All you who mourned over her— (11) That you may suck from her breastConsolation to the full,That you may draw from her bosom Glory to your delight. (12) For thus said GOD:I will extend to herProsperity like a stream,The wealth of nationsLike a wadi in flood;And you shall drink of it.You shall be carried on shouldersAnd dandled upon knees (13) Like one whom a mother comforts.So I will comfort you:You shall find comfort in Jerusalem. (14) You shall see and your heart shall rejoice,Your limbs shall flourish like grass.GOD’s power shall be revealedOn behalf of those who render service;But [God] shall rage against all foes. (15) See, GOD is coming with fire—With chariots like a whirlwind—To vent anger in fury,And rebuke in flaming fire. (16) For with fire will contend,With the sword, against all flesh;And many shall be GOD’s slain. (17) Those who sanctify and purify themselves to enter the groves, imitating one in the center, eating the flesh of the swine, the reptile, and the mouse, shall one and all come to an end—declares GOD. (18) For I [know] their deeds and purposes.[The time] has come to gather all the nations and tongues; they shall come and behold My glory. (19) I will set a sign among them, and send from them survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud—that draw the bow—to Tubal, Javan, and the distant coasts, that have never heard My fame nor beheld My glory. They shall declare My glory among these nations. (20) And out of all the nations, said GOD, they shall bring all your kindred on horses, in chariots and drays, on mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem My holy mountain as an offering to GOD—just as the Israelites bring an offering in a pure vessel to the House of GOD. (21) And from them likewise I will take some to be levitical priests, said GOD. (22) For as the new heaven and the new earthThat I will makeShall endure by My will—declares GOD—So shall your seed and your name endure. (23) And new moon after new moon,And sabbath after sabbath,All flesh shall come to worship Me—said GOD. (24) They shall go out and gazeOn the corpses of those who rebelled against Me:Their worms shall not die,Nor their fire be quenched;They shall be a horrorTo all flesh.And new moon after new moon,And sabbath after sabbath,All flesh shall come to worship Me—said GOD.