Dathan

1Korah came from the family of Levi. His father was Izhar, and Izhar's father was Kohath, son of Levi. Dathan and Abiram were sons of Eliab. On was the son of Peleth. These three came from the family of Reuben. Together they got other men to join them.

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:

NoteIsrael was made up of twelve big families. Levi's family did the work at God's special tent. Reuben's family was another one. People were known by the family they came from.

2They stood up against Moses. With them stood 250 leaders of Israel. These were well-known men whom the people looked up to.

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:

3They all came against Moses and Aaron. They said, "You take too much power for yourselves. Every one of us belongs to God, and the LORD is with us all. So why do you lift yourselves above the rest of us?"

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?

NoteWhen you see LORD in capital letters, it stands for God's own name. Aaron was the priest who led the people's worship of God.

12Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. They said, "We will not come."

And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:

13"You brought us out of a land full of milk and honey. You brought us here to die in this dry, empty land. Is that not bad enough? Must you rule over us too?"

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?

NoteThey are talking about Egypt, where they used to live. A land full of milk and honey means a rich land with plenty of food.

14"You have not brought us to a land full of milk and honey. You have not given us fields or vineyards of our own. Do you think you can poke out these men's eyes? We will not come."

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.

NoteA vineyard is a field where grapes are grown. Poking out someone's eyes was a way of saying, do you think we cannot see what you are doing?

15Moses became very angry. He said to the LORD, "Do not accept their gift. I never took even one donkey from them. I never hurt any of them."

And Moses was very 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.

NoteThe gift means an offering, something brought to God to show love for him. Taking someone's donkey would be stealing, because a donkey carried heavy loads for a family.

23Then the LORD said to Moses,

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

24"Tell the people to move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram."

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

25So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram. The leaders of Israel went with him.

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

NoteThe leaders were older men. People asked them for advice and let them settle arguments.

26He said to the people, "Please move away from the tents of these bad men. Do not touch anything they own. If you do, you will be swept away with them for their sins."

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.

27So the people moved back from those tents on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the doors of their tents. Their wives, their sons, and their little children stood with them.

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.

28Moses said, "Now you will know the LORD sent me to do all this. I did not think it up myself."

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.

29"Maybe these men will die the way all people die. If nothing new or strange happens, then the LORD did not send me."

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.

30"But the LORD may do something never done before. The ground may open its mouth and swallow them and all they own. They will go down alive into the pit. Then you will know these men have shown no respect for the LORD."

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.

NoteThe pit was what people called the place deep under the ground where the dead go.

31As soon as Moses finished speaking, the ground under those men split open.

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:

32The earth opened its mouth. It swallowed the men, their homes, everyone with Korah, and all they owned.

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.

33They went down alive into the pit with everything they had. The earth closed over them. They were gone from among the people.

They, 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.

34The Israelites nearby heard their cries and ran away. They said, "The earth might swallow us too!"

And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

35Then fire came out from the LORD. It burned up the 250 men who had offered incense.

And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

9Eliab's sons were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram were the leaders everyone knew about. They fought against Moses and Aaron. They joined Korah's group, and that group fought against the LORD.

And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD:

NoteKorah and his friends once told Moses he should not be the leader. That story is in Numbers 16.

10The ground opened up like a mouth. It swallowed them and Korah. That group died, and fire burned up 250 men. What happened to them became a warning to everyone.

And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.

NoteA sign here means a warning. People remembered what happened and told the story.

11But Korah's own children did not die.

Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.

NoteKorah's family kept going. Some of them later sang songs at God's worship tent.

2Remember today what you saw. I am not talking to your children. They did not see how God taught you with hard lessons. They did not see how great and strong he is.

And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,

NoteMoses is speaking. He led the people out of Egypt long ago. Now he is old and talking to them one last time.

3You saw the wonderful things he did in Egypt. He did them to Pharaoh, Egypt's king, and to his whole land.

And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;

NoteThe people of Israel were once slaves in Egypt. God did amazing things there to set them free.

4You saw what he did to Egypt's army, horses, and chariots. They chased you, and God made the Red Sea cover them. They have never risen up again.

And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;

NoteA chariot is a cart pulled by horses. Soldiers rode in them to fight. God opened a path through the sea for Israel. Then the water came back over the army chasing them.

5You saw what he did for you in the desert, until you came to this place.

And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place;

NoteThe desert here is dry land with little water or food. Israel lived there for forty years.

6You saw what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, from the family of Reuben. The ground opened up like a mouth. It swallowed them, their families, their tents, and everything they owned. All Israel watched it happen.

And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:

NoteDathan and Abiram wanted to take Moses' place as leader. Reuben was one of the twelve big families of Israel.

7Your own eyes saw all these great things the LORD did.

But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.

16In the camp they were jealous of Moses. They were jealous of Aaron, the holy man of the LORD.

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

NoteMoses was the leader God chose for these people. Aaron was his brother and a priest. A priest helped people bring gifts to God.

17The ground opened up and swallowed Dathan. It closed over Abiram and the people with him.

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

NoteDathan and Abiram were men in the camp. They said Moses should not be the leader.

18A fire blazed through their group. The flames burned up those who had done wrong.

And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.