Rebellion, Authority, and God's Vindication

1. Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men. 2. They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown. 3. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Yahweh is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above Yahweh’s assembly?” 4. When Moses heard it, he fell on his face. 5. He said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning, Yahweh will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him. Even him whom he shall choose, he will cause to come near to him. 6. Do this: take censers, Korah, and all his company; 7. and put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom Yahweh chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!” 8. Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi! 9. Is it a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of Yahweh’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 10. and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also? 11. Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against Yahweh! What is Aaron that you murmur against him?” 12. Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up! 13. Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us? 14. Moreover you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.” 15. Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.” 16. Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before Yahweh, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17. Each man take his censer, and put incense on them, and each man bring before Yahweh his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer.” 18. They each took his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19. Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the congregation. 20. Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21. “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” 22. They fell on their faces, and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?” 23. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24. “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’” 25. Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26. He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!” 27. So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little ones. 28. Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind. 29. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then Yahweh hasn’t sent me. 30. But if Yahweh makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up, with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh.” 31. As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart. 32. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods. 33. So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34. All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” 35. Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense. 36. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 37. “Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy, 38. even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before Yahweh. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.” 39. Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, 40. to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before Yahweh, that he not be as Korah, and as his company; as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses. 41. But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed Yahweh’s people!” 42. When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, They looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and Yahweh’s glory appeared. 43. Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting. 44. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45. “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces. 46. Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire from off the altar in it, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from Yahweh! The plague has begun.” 47. Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. The plague had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48. He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49. Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah. 50. Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped. 1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2. “Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod. 3. You shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses. 4. You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5. It shall happen, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me.” 6. Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was among their rods. 7. Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the Tent of the Testimony. 8. On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. 9. Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod. 10. Yahweh said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die.” 11. Moses did so. As Yahweh commanded him, so he did. 12. The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone! 13. Everyone who keeps approaching Yahweh’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?” 1. Yahweh said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2. Bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you; but you and your sons with you shall be before the Tent of the Testimony. 3. They shall keep your commands, and the duty of the whole Tent; only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they, nor you. 4. They shall be joined to you, and keep the responsibility of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent. A stranger shall not come near to you. 5. “You shall perform the duty of the sanctuary and the duty of the altar, that there be no more wrath on the children of Israel. 6. Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to Yahweh, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. 7. You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.” 8. Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Israel. I have given them to you by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever. 9. This shall be yours of the most holy things from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons. 10. You shall eat of it like the most holy things. Every male shall eat of it. It shall be holy to you. 11. “This is yours, too: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it. 12. “I have given to you all the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first fruits of them which they give to Yahweh. 13. The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to Yahweh, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it. 14. “Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours. 15. Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to Yahweh, both of man and animal shall be yours. Nevertheless, you shall surely redeem the firstborn of man, and you shall redeem the firstborn of unclean animals. 16. You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs. 17. “But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 18. Their meat shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours. 19. All the wave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, I have given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before Yahweh to you and to your offspring with you.” 20. Yahweh said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. 21. “To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tent of Meeting. 22. Henceforth the children of Israel shall not come near the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin, and die. 23. But the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. Among the children of Israel, they shall have no inheritance. 24. For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a wave offering to Yahweh, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’” 25. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 26. “Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, ‘When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a wave offering of it for Yahweh, a tithe of the tithe. 27. Your wave offering shall be credited to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the wine press. 28. Thus you also shall offer a wave offering to Yahweh of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of it you shall give Yahweh’s wave offering to Aaron the priest. 29. Out of all your gifts, you shall offer every wave offering of Yahweh, of all its best parts, even the holy part of it.’ 30. “Therefore you shall tell them, ‘When you heave its best from it, then it shall be credited to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press. 31. You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the Tent of Meeting. 32. You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it its best. You shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you not die.’”

1. Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2. Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul, and they begged him, 3. asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem; plotting to kill him on the way. 4. However Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly. 5. “Let them therefore”, said he, “that are in power among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.” 6. When he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought. 7. When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove, 8. while he said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.” 9. But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, and be judged by me there concerning these things?” 10. But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well. 11. For if I have done wrong, and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” 12. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you shall go.” 13. Now when some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and greeted Festus. 14. As he stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix; 15. about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for a sentence against him. 16. To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction, before the accused has met the accusers face to face, and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him. 17. When therefore they had come together here, I didn’t delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought. 18. Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such things as I supposed; 19. but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20. Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. 21. But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar.” 22. Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.” 23. So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24. Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. 25. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him, 26. of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write. 27. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him.” 1. Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense. 2. “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews, 3. especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. 4. “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem; 5. having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6. Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, 7. which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa! 8. Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead? 9. “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10. This I also did in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them. 11. Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 12. “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests, 13. at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me. 14. When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15. “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16. But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you; 17. delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, 18. to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19. “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20. but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. 21. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me. 22. Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen, 23. how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.” 24. As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!” 25. But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness. 26. For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner. 27. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28. Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?” 29. Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.” 30. The king rose up with the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them. 31. When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.” 32. Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

1. I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and heard my cry. 2. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand. 3. He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Yahweh. 4. Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust, and doesn’t respect the proud, nor such as turn away to lies. 5. Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted. 6. Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering. 7. Then I said, “Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book in the scroll. 8. I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your law is within my heart.” 9. I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know. 10. I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly. 11. Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, Yahweh. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me. 12. For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me. 13. Be pleased, Yahweh, to deliver me. Hurry to help me, Yahweh. 14. Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt. 15. Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!” 16. Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!” 17. But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.