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15 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of your dwellings, which I give unto you,

and will make an offering by fire to Jehovah, a burnt-offering or a sacrifice for the performance of a vow, or as a voluntary offering, or in your set feasts, to make a sweet odour to Jehovah, of the herd or of the flock,

then shall he that presenteth his offering to Jehovah bring as oblation a tenth part of fine flour mingled with a fourth part of a hin of oil;

and of wine for a drink-offering shalt thou offer the fourth part of a hin with the burnt-offering, or with the sacrifice, for one lamb.

And for a ram thou shalt offer as oblation two tenth parts of fine flour mingled with oil, a third part of a hin,

and of wine for a drink-offering shalt thou offer the third part of a hin; for a sweet odour to Jehovah.

And when thou offerest a bullock for a burnt-offering, or a sacrifice for the performance of a vow, or for a peace-offering to Jehovah,

then shall they present with the bullock as oblation three tenth parts of fine flour mingled with half a hin of oil;

10 and of wine shalt thou present half a hin, for a drink-offering, as an offering by fire, of a sweet odour to Jehovah.

11 Thus shall it be done for one ox, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or for a kid;

12 according to the number that ye offer, so shall ye do to every one according to their number.

13 And all that are born in the land shall do these things thus, in presenting an offering by fire of a sweet odour to Jehovah.

14 And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whoever be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering by fire of a sweet odour to Jehovah,—as ye do, so shall he do.

15 As to the congregation, there shall be one statute for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an everlasting statute throughout your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be, before Jehovah.

16 One law and one ordinance shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.

17 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

18 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you,

19 then it shall be, when ye eat of the bread of the land, that ye shall offer a heave-offering to Jehovah;

20 the first of your dough shall ye offer, a cake, for a heave-offering; as the heave-offering of the threshing-floor, so shall ye offer this.

21 Of the first of your dough ye shall give to Jehovah a heave-offering throughout your generations.

22 And if ye sin inadvertently, and do not all these commandments, which Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses,

23 all that Jehovah hath commanded you through Moses, from the day that Jehovah gave commandment, and henceforward throughout your generations;

24 then it shall be, if ought be committed by inadvertence [hid] from the eyes of the assembly, that the whole assembly shall offer one young bullock for a burnt-offering, for a sweet odour to Jehovah, and its oblation and its drink-offering according to the ordinance, and one buck of the goats for a sin-offering.

25 And the priest shall make atonement for the whole assembly of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it was a sin of inadvertence, and they have brought before Jehovah their offering, as an offering by fire to Jehovah, and their sin-offering for their [sin of] inadvertence;

26 and it shall be forgiven the whole assembly of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; for with all the people there was [a sin of] inadvertence.

27 And if one soul sin through inadvertence, then he shall present a yearling she-goat for a sin-offering.

28 And the priest shall make atonement for the soul that hath done inadvertently, when he sinneth by inadvertence before Jehovah, to make atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

29 For him that is born in the land among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them—there shall be one law for you, for him who doeth anything through inadvertence.

30 But the soul that doeth ought with a high hand, whether born in the land, or a stranger, he reproacheth Jehovah; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

31 For he hath despised the word of Jehovah, and hath broken his commandment: that soul shall surely be cut off; his iniquity is upon him.

32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness they found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath day.

33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to the whole assembly.

34 And they put him in custody, for it was not declared what should be done to him.

35 And Jehovah said to Moses, The man shall certainly be put to death: the whole assembly shall stone him with stones outside the camp.

36 And the whole assembly led him outside the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

37 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them tassels on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations, and that they attach to the tassel of the corners a lace of blue;

39 and it shall be unto you for a tassel, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of Jehovah, and do them; and that ye seek not after [the lusts of] your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye go a whoring;

40 that ye may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

41 I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am Jehovah your God.

16 And Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, made bold, and [with him] Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, the sons of Reuben;

and they rose up against Moses, with two hundred and fifty men of the children of Israel, princes of the assembly, summoned to the council, men of renown;

and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, It is enough; for all the assembly, all of them are holy, and Jehovah is among them; and why do ye lift up yourselves above the congregation of Jehovah?

When Moses heard this, he fell on his face.

And he spoke to Korah and to all his band, saying, Even to-morrow will Jehovah make known who is his, and who is holy; and he will cause him to come near to him; and him whom he has chosen, him will he cause to come near to him.

This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his band,

and put fire therein, and lay incense thereon before Jehovah to-morrow; and it shall be that the man whom Jehovah doth choose, he shall be holy. It is enough, ye sons of Levi!

And Moses said to Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi!

Is it too little for you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the assembly of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the work of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the assembly to minister to them?

10 —that he has brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee; and seek ye now the priesthood also?

11 For which cause thou and all thy band are banded together against Jehovah; and Aaron, who is he that ye murmur against him?

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

13 Is 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, that thou must make thyself altogether a ruler over us?

14 Moreover, thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up!

15 Then Moses was very wroth, and said to Jehovah, Have no regard to their oblation: not one ass have I taken from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

16 And Moses said to Korah, Be thou and all thy band before Jehovah, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow.

17 And take each his censer, and put incense thereon, and present before Jehovah every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; and thou, and Aaron, each his censer.

18 And they took each his censer, and put fire on them, and laid incense thereon, and stood before the entrance to the tent of meeting, as well as Moses and Aaron.

19 And Korah gathered the whole assembly against them to the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the assembly.

20 And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

21 Separate yourselves from the midst of this assembly, and I will consume them in a moment.

22 And they fell on their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh! shall *one* man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with the whole assembly?

23 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

24 Speak unto the assembly, saying, Get you up from about the habitation of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

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

26 And he spoke to the assembly, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye perish in all their sins.

27 And they got up from the habitation of Koran, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the entrance of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.

28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that Jehovah has sent me to do all these deeds, for they are not out of my own heart:

29 if these men die as all men die, and are visited with the visitation of all men, Jehovah has not sent me;

30 but if Jehovah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, and all that they have, and they go down alive into Sheol, then ye shall know that these men have despised Jehovah.

31 And it came to pass when he had ended speaking all these words, that the ground clave apart that was under them.

32 And the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that belonged to Korah, and all their property.

33 And they went down, they and all that they had, alive into Sheol, and the earth covered them; and they perished from among the congregation.

34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at their cry; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up!

35 And there came out a fire from Jehovah, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that had presented incense.

36 And Jehovah 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 afar; for they are hallowed,

38 the censers of these sinners who have forfeited their life; and they shall make them into broad plates for the covering of the altar; for they presented them before Jehovah, therefore they are hallowed; and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

39 And Eleazar the priest took the copper censers, which they that were burnt had presented; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

40 as a memorial to the children of Israel, that no stranger who is not of the seed of Aaron come near to burn incense before Jehovah, that he be not as Korah, and as his band,—as Jehovah had said to him through Moses.

41 And the whole assembly of the children of Israel murmured on the morrow against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of Jehovah.

42 And it came to pass, when the assembly was gathered together against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Jehovah appeared.

43 And Moses and Aaron went before the tent of meeting.

44 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

45 Get you up from the midst of this assembly, and I will consume them in a moment. And they fell on their faces.

46 And Moses said to Aaron, Take the censer, and put fire thereon from off the altar, and lay on incense, and carry it quickly to the assembly, and make atonement for them; for there is wrath gone out from Jehovah: the plague is begun.

47 And Aaron took as Moses had said, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and behold, the plague had begun among the people; and he put on incense, and made atonement for the people.

48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides them that had died because of the matter of Korah.

50 And Aaron returned to Moses to the entrance of the tent of meeting; and the plague was stayed.

Supplementary Offerings

15 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘After you enter the land I am giving you(A) as a home and you present to the Lord food offerings from the herd or the flock,(B) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord(C)—whether burnt offerings(D) or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings(E) or festival offerings(F) then the person who brings an offering shall present to the Lord a grain offering(G) of a tenth of an ephah[a] of the finest flour(H) mixed with a quarter of a hin[b] of olive oil. With each lamb(I) for the burnt offering or the sacrifice, prepare a quarter of a hin of wine(J) as a drink offering.(K)

“‘With a ram(L) prepare a grain offering(M) of two-tenths of an ephah[c](N) of the finest flour mixed with a third of a hin[d] of olive oil,(O) and a third of a hin of wine(P) as a drink offering.(Q) Offer it as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(R)

“‘When you prepare a young bull(S) as a burnt offering or sacrifice, for a special vow(T) or a fellowship offering(U) to the Lord, bring with the bull a grain offering(V) of three-tenths of an ephah[e](W) of the finest flour mixed with half a hin[f] of olive oil, 10 and also bring half a hin of wine(X) as a drink offering.(Y) This will be a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(Z) 11 Each bull or ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this manner. 12 Do this for each one, for as many as you prepare.(AA)

13 “‘Everyone who is native-born(AB) must do these things in this way when they present a food offering as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(AC) 14 For the generations to come,(AD) whenever a foreigner(AE) or anyone else living among you presents a food(AF) offering(AG) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, they must do exactly as you do. 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.(AH) You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord: 16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you.(AI)’”

17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you(AJ) 19 and you eat the food of the land,(AK) present a portion as an offering to the Lord.(AL) 20 Present a loaf from the first of your ground meal(AM) and present it as an offering from the threshing floor.(AN) 21 Throughout the generations to come(AO) you are to give this offering to the Lord from the first of your ground meal.(AP)

Offerings for Unintentional Sins

22 “‘Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the Lord gave Moses(AQ) 23 any of the Lord’s commands to you through him, from the day the Lord gave them and continuing through the generations to come(AR) 24 and if this is done unintentionally(AS) without the community being aware of it,(AT) then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering(AU) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord,(AV) along with its prescribed grain offering(AW) and drink offering,(AX) and a male goat for a sin offering.[g](AY) 25 The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven,(AZ) for it was not intentional(BA) and they have presented to the Lord for their wrong a food offering(BB) and a sin offering.(BC) 26 The whole Israelite community and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.(BD)

27 “‘But if just one person sins unintentionally,(BE) that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering.(BF) 28 The priest is to make atonement(BG) before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven.(BH) 29 One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.(BI)

30 “‘But anyone who sins defiantly,(BJ) whether native-born or foreigner,(BK) blasphemes the Lord(BL) and must be cut off from the people of Israel.(BM) 31 Because they have despised(BN) the Lord’s word and broken his commands,(BO) they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.(BP)’”

The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death

32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness,(BQ) a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.(BR) 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.(BS) 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die.(BT) The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.(BU) 36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him(BV) to death,(BW) as the Lord commanded Moses.(BX)

Tassels on Garments

37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come(BY) you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments,(BZ) with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember(CA) all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves(CB) by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts(CC) and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands(CD) and will be consecrated to your God.(CE) 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God.(CF) I am the Lord your God.(CG)’”

Korah, Dathan and Abiram

16 Korah(CH) son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram(CI), sons of Eliab,(CJ) and On son of Peleth—became insolent[h] and rose up against Moses.(CK) With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.(CL) They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron(CM) and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy,(CN) every one of them, and the Lord is with them.(CO) Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”(CP)

When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.(CQ) Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy,(CR) and he will have that person come near him.(CS) The man he chooses(CT) he will cause to come near him. You, Korah, and all your followers(CU) are to do this: Take censers(CV) and tomorrow put burning coals(CW) and incense(CX) in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses(CY) will be the one who is holy.(CZ) You Levites have gone too far!”

Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! Isn’t it enough(DA) 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?(DB) 10 He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.(DC) 11 It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble(DD) against him?(DE)

12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram,(DF) the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come!(DG) 13 Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey(DH) to kill us in the wilderness?(DI) And now you also want to lord it over us!(DJ) 14 Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey(DK) or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards.(DL) Do you want to treat these men like slaves[i]?(DM) No, we will not come!(DN)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

39 So Eleazar the priest(EY) collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death,(EZ) and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, 40 as 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(FA) before the Lord,(FB) or he would become like Korah and his followers.(FC)

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

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

46 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer(FG) and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly(FH) to make atonement(FI) for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord;(FJ) the plague(FK) has started.” 47 So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people,(FL) but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.(FM) 49 But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.(FN) 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.[j]

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 15:4 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  2. Numbers 15:4 That is, about 1 quart or about 1 liter; also in verse 5
  3. Numbers 15:6 That is, probably about 7 pounds or about 3.2 kilograms
  4. Numbers 15:6 That is, about 1 1/3 quarts or about 1.3 liters; also in verse 7
  5. Numbers 15:9 That is, probably about 11 pounds or about 5 kilograms
  6. Numbers 15:9 That is, about 2 quarts or about 1.9 liters; also in verse 10
  7. Numbers 15:24 Or purification offering; also in verses 25 and 27
  8. Numbers 16:1 Or Peleth—took men
  9. Numbers 16:14 Or to deceive these men; Hebrew Will you gouge out the eyes of these men
  10. Numbers 16:50 In Hebrew texts 16:36-50 is numbered 17:1-15.