'were numbered of you, according to your whole num'ber, from twenty years old and upward, which have 'murmured against me, doubtless ye shall not come into 'the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell 'therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua 'the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said 'should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall 'know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, 'your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. And

your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years. 'After the number of the days in which ye searched the 'land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear 'your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my 'breach of promise. I the LORD have said, I will surely 'do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be 'consumed, and there they shall die.'

And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.

And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel and the people mourned greatly. And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we 'have sinned.' And Moses said, 'Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall 6 not prosper. Go not up, for the LORD is not among you ; 'that ye be not smitten before your enemies. For the 'Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and 'ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away

'from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.' But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.

Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, 'Ye take too much upon you, 'seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, ' and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up 'yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?'

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And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face and he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, 'Even to-morrow the LORD will show who are his, and 'who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto HIM : 6 even him whom He hath chosen will HE cause to come near unto HIM. This do; take you censers, Korah, and 'all his company; and put fire therein, and put incense ' in them before the LORD to-morrow and it shall be 'that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be 'holy ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.' And Moses said unto Korah, 'Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that 'the God of Israel hath separated you from the congre'gation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the

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'service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand 'before the congregation to minister unto them? And 'HE hath brought thee near to HIM, and all thy brethren 'the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also? For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is 'Aaron, that ye murmur against him?'

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And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab which said, 'We will not come up: is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that 'floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, 'except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us? 'Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that 'floweth 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.' And Moses was very

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wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their 'offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.' And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow: and take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before 'the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.'

And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron. And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying

'Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that

'I may consume them in a moment.'

And they fell upon their faces, and said, 'O GOD, the

GOD of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?' And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying

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'Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from ' about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.'

And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spake unto the congregation, saying, 'Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.' So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. And Moses said, 'Hereby ' ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these 'works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they 'be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down. 'quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.'

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And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They,

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and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, 'Lest the earth swallow us up also.' And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying—

'Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he 'take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou 'the fire yonder; for they are hallowed. The censers of 'these sinners against their own souls, let them make 'them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they 'offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hal'lowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of • Israel.'

And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar: to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, 'Ye have killed the people of the LORD.' And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying