1. Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On, son of Peleth, son of Reuben took
2. two hundred and fifty Israelites who were leaders in the community, members of the council and men of note, and confronted Moses.
3. Holding an assembly against Moses and Aaron, they said, “You go too far! The whole community, all of them, are holy; the Lord is in their midst. Why then should you set yourselves over the Lord’s assembly?”
4. When Moses heard this, he fell prostrate.
5. Then he said to Korah and to all his faction, “May the Lord make known tomorrow morning who belongs to him and who is the holy one and whom he will have draw near to him! The one whom he chooses, he will have draw near to him.
6. Do this: take your censers, Korah and all his faction,
7. and put fire in them and place incense in them before the Lord tomorrow. He whom the Lord then chooses is the holy one. You Levites go too far!”
8. Moses also said to Korah, “Hear, now, you Levites!
9. Are you not satisfied that the God of Israel has singled you out from the community of Israel, to have you draw near him to maintain the Lord’s tabernacle, and to attend upon the community and to serve them?
10. He has allowed you and your Levite kinsmen with you to approach him, and yet you seek the priesthood too.
11. It is therefore against the Lord that you and all your faction are conspiring. As for Aaron, what has he done that you should grumble against him?”
12. Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, but they answered, “We will not go.
13. Are you not satisfied that you have brought us here from a land flowing with milk and honey to have us perish in the wilderness, that now you must also lord it over us?
14. Far from bringing us to a land flowing with milk and honey, or giving us fields and vineyards for our inheritance, will you gouge out our eyes? No, we will not go.”