Korah

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.

4When Moses heard this, he bowed down with his face to the ground.

And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:

5Then he said to Korah and all his men, "Tomorrow the LORD will show who belongs to him. He will show who is set apart for him. He will let that man come near to him. The man the LORD picks is the one he brings close."

And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.

NoteSet apart means picked out and kept special for God alone.

6"Here is what to do. You, Korah, and all your men must each take a censer."

This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

NoteA censer was a small metal pan with a handle. Hot coals went in it, and sweet spices were burned on top.

7"Tomorrow put fire in them and burn incense before the LORD. The man the LORD picks is the one set apart for him. You sons of Levi are the ones taking too much."

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.

NoteIncense is spices that smell sweet when they burn. Burning it was a way of giving a gift to God.

8Moses also said to Korah, "Please listen, you sons of Levi."

And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:

9"God set your family apart from the rest of Israel. He brought you close to himself to work at his holy tent. You also stand before the people and help them. Is that such a small thing to you?"

Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?

NoteThe holy tent was a big tent the people carried with them. It was the place where they came to worship God.

10"God brought you near to him, and all your Levite brothers too. And now you want to be priests as well?"

And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?

NotePriests did the special jobs at God's tent. Only men from Aaron's family could be priests. The rest of Levi's family helped, but they were not priests.

11"So really, you and your men have joined together against the LORD. Aaron is only a man. Why do you grumble against him?"

For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?

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.

16Moses said to Korah, "Tomorrow you and all your men must stand before the LORD. Aaron will be there too."

And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:

17"Each man must take his censer and put incense in it. Bring all 250 censers before the LORD. You and Aaron must bring your censers too."

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.

18So each man took his censer, put fire in it, and added incense. They stood at the door of the meeting tent with Moses and Aaron.

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.

NoteThe meeting tent is the same holy tent. It was called that because God met with his people there.

19Korah gathered all the people against them at the door of the tent. Then the bright glory of the LORD appeared to everyone.

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.

NoteThe glory of the LORD was a bright shining light. It showed the people that God himself was there.

20The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said,

And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

21"Move away from these people. I will destroy them in a moment."

Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

22Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces to the ground. They said, "O God, you give life to every person. One man sinned. Will you be angry with all the people?"

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?

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.

36The LORD said to Moses,

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

37"Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to lift the censers out of the fire. Tell him to scatter the burning coals far away. The censers now belong to God."

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.

NoteEleazar was one of Aaron's sons and a priest too. Anything used for God was kept for God. It could never be used again for cooking or ordinary work.

38"Those men sinned, and it cost them their lives. Hammer their censers into flat sheets to cover the altar, the table where gifts are burned for God. The censers were brought before the LORD, so they belong to him. They will be a sign for the people of Israel."

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 hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers of the men who were burned. He had them hammered into flat sheets to cover the altar.

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:

NoteBronze is a hard metal with a brown gold color. Pans, tools, and cups were made from it.

40This would remind the people of Israel of one thing. Only a man from Aaron's family may come and burn incense before the LORD. No one else should try, or he will end up like Korah and his men. The LORD had said this through Moses.

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.

41The next day all the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron. They said, "You have killed the LORD's people."

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.

42The people crowded together against Moses and Aaron. Then they looked toward the meeting tent. The cloud covered it, and the bright glory of the LORD appeared.

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.

43Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the meeting tent.

And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

44The LORD said to Moses,

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

45"Move away from these people. I will destroy them in a moment." Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces to the ground.

Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

46Moses said to Aaron, "Take a censer. Put fire from the altar in it and add incense. Run to the people and make things right between them and God. The LORD is angry, and a deadly sickness has started."

And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

NoteTo make things right means to bring a gift to God for people who have done wrong. The deadly sickness spread fast from person to person.

47Aaron did what Moses told him. He ran into the middle of the crowd. The sickness had already started among the people. He burned the incense and made things right for them.

And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

48He stood between the dead and the living. The sickness stopped.

And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49In all, 14,700 people died from that sickness. Others had already died because of what Korah did.

Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

NoteThe people of Israel were a huge crowd, more than you could count.

50Then Aaron went back to Moses at the door of the meeting tent. The sickness had stopped.

And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

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.

8These dreamers do the same wrong things. They make their bodies dirty with sin. They say no to anyone in charge. They speak evil about the shining beings of heaven.

Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Note"The shining beings of heaven" means angels. They shine because they come from God.

9Michael is the chief angel. He once argued with the devil about the body of Moses. Even Michael did not dare to insult him. He only said, "The Lord tell you that you are wrong."

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

NoteAn archangel is a leader over the other angels. Michael is one of them.

10These men speak evil about things they do not understand. They follow their feelings, like animals that cannot think. Those very things ruin them.

But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

NoteMoses was the leader who brought God's people out of Egypt. He died long before Jude wrote this letter.

11How sad for them! They have gone the way Cain went. They rushed after money, the way Balaam did wrong. They died fighting against God, the way Korah did.

Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

NoteCain was one of the first people. He was so jealous that he killed his own brother. Balaam was a man who spoke messages from God. He took money to help people who hated God's people. Korah told God's people to stop following Moses. The ground opened up and Korah was gone.

12These men sit and eat at your love meals. They are like hidden rocks that wreck a ship. They feed only themselves and are not ashamed. They are clouds with no rain, blown around by the wind. They are trees with no fruit, dead twice over, pulled up by the roots.

These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

NoteA love meal was a supper the first Christians ate together. Everyone brought food and shared it with each other.

13They are wild waves of the sea. Their shameful acts foam up like dirty sea foam. They are stars that wander off course. The blackest dark is kept for them forever.

Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

NoteSailors used stars to find their way at night. A star that wandered off would lead a ship the wrong way.