Numbers 16
Open in the reader1Now Shaven son of Shining-Oil, the son of Assembly son of Joined-One, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Father-Is-Exalted, sons of My-God-Is-Father, and On son of Swift—conducted
2a rebellion against Drawn-Out, along with 250 men of Strives-with-God renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly.
3They came together against Drawn-Out and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is devoted, and He-Who-Is is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of He-Who-Is?”
4When Drawn-Out heard this, he fell facedown.
5Then he said to Shaven and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning He-Who-Is will reveal who belongs to Him and who is devoted, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one He chooses He will bring near to Himself.
6You, Shaven, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers,
7and tomorrow you are to place fire and incense in them in the presence of He-Who-Is. Then the man He-Who-Is chooses will be the one who is devoted. It is you sons of Joined-One who have taken too much upon yourselves!”
8Drawn-Out also said to Shaven, “Now listen, you sons of Joined-One!
9Is it not enough for you that the God of Strives-with-God has separated you from the congregation of Strives-with-God and brought you near to Himself to perform the work at He-Who-Is’s Dwelling, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them?
10He has brought you near, you and all your fellow Joined-Ones, but you are seeking the priesthood as well.
11Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against He-Who-Is! As for Aaron, who is he that you should grumble against him?”
12Then Drawn-Out summoned Dathan and Father-Is-Exalted, the sons of My-God-Is-Father, but they said, “We will not come!
13Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Must you also appoint yourself as ruler over us?
14Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!”
15Then Drawn-Out became very angry and said to He-Who-Is, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.”
16And Drawn-Out said to Shaven, “You and all your followers are to appear before He-Who-Is tomorrow—you and they and Aaron.
17Each man is to take his censer, place incense in it, and present it before He-Who-Is—250 censers. You and Aaron are to present your censers as well.”
18So each man took his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Drawn-Out and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
19When Shaven had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of He-Who-Is appeared to the whole congregation.
20And He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out and Aaron,
21“Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.”
22But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?”
23Then He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out,
24“Tell the congregation to move away from the dwellings of Shaven, Dathan, and Father-Is-Exalted.”
25So Drawn-Out got up and went to Dathan and Father-Is-Exalted, and the elders of Strives-with-God followed him.
26And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”
27So they moved away from the dwellings of Shaven, Dathan, and Father-Is-Exalted. Meanwhile, Dathan and Father-Is-Exalted had come out and stood at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children and infants.
28Then Drawn-Out said, “This is how you will know that He-Who-Is has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing:
29If these men die a natural death, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then He-Who-Is has not sent me.
30But if He-Who-Is brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Place-of-the-Dead, then you will know that these men have treated He-Who-Is with contempt.”
31As soon as Drawn-Out had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open,
32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Shaven’s men and all their possessions.
33They went down alive into Place-of-the-Dead with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly.
34At their cries, all the people of Strives-with-God who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!”
35And fire came forth from He-Who-Is and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.