1   And behold Core the sonne of Isaar, the sonne of Caath, the sonne of Leui, and Dathan and Abiron the sonnes of Eliab, Hon also the sonne of Pheleth of the children of Ruben,

2   09Q0154rose against Moyses, and other of the children of Israel two hundred fiftie men, princes of the synagogue, and which in the time of assemblie were called by name.

3   And when they had stoode vp against Moyses and Aaron, they said: Let it suffice you, that ^note al the multitude consisteth of holie ones, and our Lord is among them: Why lift you vp your selues aboue the people of our Lord?

4   Which when Moyses had heard, he fel flatte on his face:

5   and speaking to Core and al the multitude, he said: In the morning our Lord wil make it knowne who pertaine to him, and the holie the wil ioyne to him selfe: and whom he shal choose, they shal approch to him.

6   This do therfore: Take euerie man their censars, thou Core, and al thy councel:

7   and taking fire in them to morrow, put vpon it incense before our Lord: and whom soeuer he shal choose, the same shal be holie: you do much exalt your selues ye sonnes of Leui.

8   And he said againe to Core: Heare ye sonnes of Leui,

9   Is it a smal thing vnto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from al the people, and ioyned you to him selfe, that you should serue him in the seruice of the tabernacle, and should

Schisme. stand before the ful assemblie of the people, and should minister to him?

10   did he therfore make thee and al thy brethren the sonnes of Leui to approch vnto him, that you should chalenge vnto you the priesthood also,

11   and al thy companie should stand against our Lord? for what is Aaron that you murmur against him?

12   Moyses therfore sent to cal Dathan and Abiron the sonnes of Eliab. Who answered: We come not.

13   Why, is it a smal matter to thee that thou hast brought vs out of a land, that folowed with milke and honie, to kil vs in the desert, vnles thou rule also like a lord ouer vs?

14   In deede hast thou brought vs into a land, that floweth with riuers of milke and honie, & hast thou geuen vs possessions of fieldes & vineyardes? What, wilt thou plucke out our eies also? We come not.

15   Moyses therfore being very wrath, said to our Lord: Respect not their sacrifices: thou knowest that I haue not taken of them so much as a little asse at anie time, neither haue afflicted anie of them.

16   And he said to Core: Thou, and al thy congregation stand ye apart before our Lord, and Aaron to morrow apart.

17   Take euerie one your censars, and put incense vpon them, offering to our Lord two hundred fiftie censars: Let Aaron also hold his censar.

18   Which when they had done, Moyses and Aaron standing,

19   and had heaped together al the multitude against them to the dore of the tabernacle, the glorie of our Lord appeared to them al.

20   And our Lord speaking to Moyses and Aaron, said:

21   Separate your selues from the middes of this congregation, that I may sodenly destroy them.

22   Who fel flatte on their face, and said: Most mightie God of the spirites of al flesh, when one sinneth, shal thy wrath rage against al?

23   And our Lord said to Moyses:

24   Command the whole people that they separate them selues from the tabernacles of Core and Dathan and Abiron.

25   And Moyses arose, and went to Dathan and Abiron: and the ancientes of Israel folowing him,

26   he said to the multitude: Depart from the tabernacles of the impious men, and touch not the thinges that pertaine to them, ^note lest you be wrapped in their sinnes.

27   And when they were departed from their tentes round about, Dathan and Abiron coming forth stood in the entrie of their pauilions with their wiues and children, and al the multitude.

28   And Moyses said: ^note In this you shal know that our Lord hath sent me to do al thinges that you see, and

Schisme. that I haue not forged them of my owne mind:

29   If they die the accustomed death of men, and if the plague, wherwith others also are wont to be visited, do visite them, our Lord did not send me:

30   but if our Lord do a new thing, that the earth opening her mouth swallow them downe, & al thinges that pertaine to them, and they descend quicke into hel, you shal know that they haue blasphemed our Lord.

31   Immediatly therfore as he ceased to speake, the earth brake insunder vnder their feete:

32   and opening her mouth, deuoured them with their tabernacles & al their substance.

33   and they went downe into hel quicke couered with the ground, and perished out of the middes of the multitude.

34   But al Israel, that stoode round about, fled at the crie of them that perished, saying: Lest perhappes the earth swallow vs also.

35   But a fire also coming forth from our Lord, slew the two hundred fiftie men, that offered the incense.

36   And our Lord spake to Moyses, saying:

37   Command ^note Elezar the sonne of Aaron the priest that he take vp the censars that lie in the burning fire, and that he sprinkle the fire hither and thither: because they be sanctified

38   in the deathes of the sinners: and let him beate them into plates, and fasten them to the altar, because there hath bene offered incense in them to the Lord, and they are sanctified, that the children of Israel may see them for a signe and a monument.

39   Eleazar therfore the priest tooke the brasen censars, wherin they had offered, whom the burning fire deuoured, and bette them into plates, fastening them to the altar:

40   that the children of Israel afterward might haue, wherwith to be admonished, that no stranger approch, and he that is not of the seede of Aaron, to offer incense to our Lord, lest he suffer as Core hath suffered, and al his congregation, according as our Lord spake to Moyses.

41   And al the multitude of the children of Israel murmured the day folowing against Moyses and Aaron, saying: You haue killed the people of our Lord.

42   And when there rose a sedition, aud the tumult grew farder,

43   Moyses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of couenant. Which after they were entred the cloude couered it, and the glorie of our Lord appeared.

44   And our Lord said to Moyses:

45   Depart from the middes of this multitude, ^note euen now wil I destroy them. And as they lay vpon the ground,

46   Moyses said to Aaron: Take the censar, and drawing fire from the altar, put incense

Schisme. vpon it, going quickly to the people to pray for them: for euen now is the wrath come forth from our Lord, and the plague rageth.

47   Which when Aaron had done, and had runne to the middes of the multitude, which now the burning fire did waste, he offered the incense:

48   and standing betwen the deade and the liuing, he prayed for the people, and the plague ceased.

49   And there were, that were strooken, fourtene thousand and seuen hundred men, beside them that had perished in the sedition of Core.

50   And Aaron returned to Moyses vnto the doore of the tabernacle of couenant after that the destruction was ceased.

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