Bible Verses About Priests

Korach assembled all the group who were against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then the glory of ADONAI appeared to the whole assembly.

ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon,

"Separate yourselves from this assembly; I'm going to destroy them right now!"

They fell on their faces and said, "Oh God, God of the spirits of all humankind, if one person sins, are you going to be angry with the entire assembly?"

ADONAI answered Moshe,

"Tell the assembly to move away from the homes of Korach, Datan and Aviram."

Moshe got up and went to Datan and Aviram, and the leaders of Isra'el followed him.

There he said to the assembly, "Leave the tents of these wicked men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them, or you may be swept away in all their sins."

So they moved away from all around the area where Korach, Datan and Aviram lived. Then Datan and Aviram came out and stood at the entrance to their tents with their wives, sons and little ones.

Moshe said, "Here is how you will know that ADONAI has sent me to do all these things and that I haven't done them out of my own ambition:

if these men die a natural death like other people, only sharing the fate common to all humanity, then ADONAI has not sent me.

But if ADONAI does something new - if the ground opens up and swallows them with everything they own, and they go down alive to Sh'ol - then you will understand that these men have had contempt for ADONAI."

The moment he finished speaking, the ground under them split apart -

the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all the people who had sided with Korach and everything they owned.

So they and everything they owned went down alive into Sh'ol, the earth closed over them and their existence in the community ceased.

All Isra'el around them fled at their shrieks, shouting, "The earth might swallow us too!"

Then fire came out from ADONAI and destroyed the 250 men who had offered the incense.

to remind the people of Isra'el that an ordinary person, not descended from Aharon, is not to approach and burn incense before ADONAI, if he wants to avoid the fate of Korach and his group - as ADONAI had said to him through Moshe.

ADONAI said to Aharon, "You, your sons and your father's family line will be responsible for anything that goes wrong in the sanctuary. You and your sons with you will be responsible for anything wrong in your service as cohanim.

You will take charge of all the holy things and the altar, so that there will no longer be anger against the people of Isra'el.

You and your sons with you will exercise your prerogatives and duties as cohanim in regard to everything having to do with the altar and within the curtain. I entrust the service required of cohanim to you; the unauthorized person who tries to perform it is to be put to death."

ADONAI said to Aharon, "I myself have put you in charge of the contributions given to me. Everything consecrated by the people of Isra'el I have given and set aside for you and your sons; this is a perpetual law.

Here is what is to be yours of the especially holy things taken from the fire: every offering they make - that is, every grain offering, sin offering and guilt offering of theirs that they turn over to me - will be especially holy for you and your sons.

You are to eat it in an especially holy place; every male may eat it; it will be set apart for you.

"Also yours is the contribution the people of Isra'el give in the form of wave offerings. I have given these to you, your sons and your daughters with you; this is a perpetual law. Everyone in your family who is clean may eat it.