The Wilderness Years

And that all thy company should stand against the Lord? for what is Aaron that you murmur against him?

Then Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab. But they answered: We will not come.

Is it a small matter to thee, that thou hast brought us out of a land that flowed with milk and honey, to kill us in the desert, except thou rule also like a lord over us?

Thou hast brought us indeed into a land that floweth with rivers of milk and honey, and hast given us possessions of fields and vineyards; wilt thou also pull out our eyes? We will not come.

Moses therefore being very angry, said to the Lord: Respect not their sacrifices: thou knowest that I have not taken of them so much as a young ass at any time, nor have injured any of them.

And he said to Core: Do thou and thy congregation stand apart before the Lord to morrow, and Aaron apart.

Take every one of you censers, and put incense upon them, offering to the Lord two hundred and fifty censers: let Aaron also hold his censer.

When they had done this, Moses and Aaron standing,

And had drawn up all the multitude against them to the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.

And the Lord speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:

Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them.

They fell flat on their face, and said: O most mighty, the God of the spirits of all flesh, for one man's sin shall thy wrath rage against all?

And the Lord said to Moses:

Command the whole people to separate themselves from the tents of Core and Dathan and Abiron.

And Moses arose, and went to Dathan and Abiron: and the ancients of Israel following him,

He said to the multitude: Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be involved in their sins.

And when they were departed from their tents round about, Dathan and Abiron coming out stood in the entry of their pavilions with their wives and children, and all the people.

And Moses said: By this you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all things that you see, and that I have not forged them of my own head:

If these men die the common death of men, and if they be visited with a plague, wherewith others also are wont to be visited, the Lord did not send me.

But if the Lord do a new thing, and the earth opening her mouth swallow them down, and all things that belong to them, and they go down alive into hell, you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord.

And immediately as he had made an end of speaking, the earth broke asunder under their feet:

And opening her mouth, devoured them with their tents and all their substance.

And they went down alive into hell, the ground closing upon them, and they perished from among the people.

But all Israel, that was standing round about, fled at the cry of them that were perishing: saying: Lest perhaps the earth swallow us up also.

And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.