Korah, Dathan, and Abiram Lead a Rebellion
1-2 Korah son of Izhar was a Levite from the Kohathite clan. One day he called together Dathan, Abiram, and On from the Reuben tribe, and the four of them decided to rebel against Moses. So they asked 250 respected Israelite leaders for their support, and together they went to Moses 3 and Aaron and said, “Why do you think you're so much better than everyone else? We're part of the Lord's holy people, and he's with all of us. What makes you think you're the only ones in charge?”
4 When Moses heard this, he knelt down to pray. 5 Then he said to Korah and his followers:
Tomorrow morning the Lord will show us the person he has chosen to be his priest, and that man will faithfully serve him.
6-7 Korah, here is what you and your followers must do: Get some fire pans, fill them with coals and incense, and place them near the sacred tent. And the man the Lord chooses will be his priest. Korah, this time you Levites have gone too far!
8-9 You know that the God of Israel has chosen you Levites from all Israel to serve him by being in charge of the sacred tent and by helping the community to worship in the proper way. What more do you want? 10 The Lord has given you a special responsibility, and now, Korah, you think you should also be his priest. 11 You and your followers have rebelled against the Lord, not against Aaron.
12 Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, but they sent back this message: “We won't come! 13 It's bad enough that you took us from our rich farmland in Egypt to let us die here in the desert. Now you also want to boss us around! 14 You keep promising us rich farmlands with fertile fields and vineyards—but where are they? Stop trying to trick these people. No, we won't come to see you.”
15 Moses was very angry and said to the Lord, “Don't listen to these men! I haven't done anything wrong to them. I haven't taken as much as a donkey.”
16 Then he said to Korah, “Tomorrow you and your followers must go with Aaron to the Lord's sacred tent. 17 Each of you take along your fire pan with incense in it and offer the incense to the Lord.”
18 The next day the men placed incense and coals in their fire pans and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the sacred tent. 19 Meanwhile, Korah had convinced the rest of the Israelites to rebel against their two leaders.
When that happened, the Lord appeared in all his glory 20 and said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Get away from the rest of the Israelites so I can kill them at once!”
22 But the two men bowed down and prayed, “Our God, you gave these people life. Why would you punish everyone here when only one man has sinned?”
23 The Lord answered Moses, 24 “Tell the people to stay away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
25 Moses walked over to Dathan and Abiram, and the other leaders of Israel followed. 26 Then Moses warned the people, “Get away from the tents of these sinful men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them or you'll be wiped out.” 27 So everyone moved away from those tents, except Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families.
28 Moses said to the crowd, “The Lord has chosen me and told me to do these things—it wasn't my idea. And here's how you will know: 29 If these men die a natural death, it means the Lord hasn't chosen me. 30 But suppose the Lord does something that has never been done before. For example, what if a huge crack appears in the ground, and these men and their families fall into it and are buried alive, together with everything they own? Then you will know they have turned their backs on the Lord!”
31 As soon as Moses said this, the ground under the men opened up 32-33 and swallowed them alive, together with their families and everything they owned. Then the ground closed back up, and they were gone.
34 The rest of the Israelites heard their screams, so they ran off, shouting, “We don't want that to happen to us!”
35 Suddenly the Lord sent a fire that burned up the 250 men who had offered incense to him.
36 Then the Lord said to Moses, 37 “Tell Aaron's son Eleazar to take the fire pans from the smoldering fire and scatter the coals. The pans are now sacred, 38 because they were used for offering incense to me. Have them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar. Those men died because of their sin, and now their fire pans will become a warning for the rest of the community.”
39 Eleazar collected the pans and had them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar, 40 just as the Lord had told Moses. The pans were a warning to the Israelites that only Aaron's descendants would be allowed to offer incense to the Lord. Anyone else who tried to would be punished like Korah and his followers.
The Israelites Rebel and Are Punished
41 The next day the people of Israel again complained against Moses and Aaron, “The two of you killed some of the Lord's people!”
42 As the people crowded around them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the sacred tent, and the Lord appeared in his glory in the cloud covering the tent. 43 So Moses and Aaron walked to the front of the tent, 44 where the Lord said to them, 45 “Stand back! I am going to wipe out these Israelites once and for all.”
They immediately bowed down and prayed. 46 Then Moses told Aaron, “Grab your fire pan and fill it with hot coals from the altar. Put incense in it, then quickly take it to where the people are and offer it to the Lord, so they can be forgiven. The Lord is very angry, and people have already started dying!”
47-48 Aaron did exactly what he had been told. He ran over to the crowd of people and stood between the dead bodies and the people who were still alive. He placed the incense on the pan, then offered it to the Lord and asked him to forgive the people's sin. The disease immediately stopped spreading, and no one else died from it. 49 But 14,700 Israelites were dead, not counting those who had died with Korah and his followers.
50 Aaron walked back and stood with Moses at the sacred tent.
Kupanduka kwa Kora na Dathani na Abiramu
1 Ndizo Kora nkololo wa Izha, Izha ali nkololo wa Kohati, Kohati ali nkololo wa Levi, kukoti Dathani na Abiramu bali bakololo ba Eliyabu kudwapo Oni nkololo wa Peleti, Peleti na Eliyabu bali bakololo ba Rubheni, bakapandukila Mushe. 2 Bakamilika bakamukila Mushe, bazhadziwa nge balume bali mazana mabili ana makumi mashanu (250) bakabe bali batungamili be gubungano, bashalugwa mu gubungano bali balume bana tjilumbi. 3 Bakanokubungana mbeli kwa Mushe na Aroni, bakabadwa bakati, “Mapindilila kwazo! Mmwe ne mmwe mu gubungano ileli wakayengemala, Yahwe banaye, ngono ngwenu ini makazwituthumadza kupinda, mu gubungano la Yahwe?” 4 Kukati Mushe ehwa nge kwa ikoku, kathigama kakotamila pasi. 5 Shule kadwa Kora ne batobeli babe bose kati, “Tjimuka mangwanana Yahwe banowolakidza kuti wabo ndiupi, ne kuti wakayengemala ndiani, banonsedzedza pejo nabo, iye wabanowoshalula banonsedzedza pejo nabo. 6 Iwe Kora, ne batobeli babo bose mumuke, mutole zwikambana zwe moto, 7 mulonge masimbe anopisa mu zwili, mupise motsha mbeli kwa Yahwe, ngono nlume unowoshalugwa ndi Yahwe ndiye unowobe akayengemala. Mapindilila kwazo, bakololo ba Levi!” 8 Ngono Mushe kadwa Kora kati, “Tjihwani imwi bakololo ba Levi. 9 Apa kuthu kutukununu kuti Ndzimu we Iziraela ube wakamushalula pakati kwe gubungano le Iziraela, umusedzedza pejo nawo, kube bashingili mu bugalo gwa Yahwe kene? Ne kuti mume mbeli kwe gubungano mulishingila kene? 10 Kakale Ndzimu wakamusedzedza pejo nawo, nenge zwikamu zwenyu bakololo ba Levi, apa moshaka ne bupirisiti pezhugwi kwa ikoku kene? 11 Iwe ne batobeli babo makubunganila kuwobhayana na Yahwe. Aroni ndiani dumbu wamungang'ong'ola nge kukwe kene?”
12 Mushe kabe eti kunodang'wa Dathani na Abiramu bakololo ba Eliyabu, koga bakadabila beti, “Atitowozha. 13 Apa unokutola bulelu kube wakatidusa mu shango inowunga nkaka ne butji gwe nyutji, kuwotibulayila mu tjilambanyika, ube uzwithama nlauli mutili kene? 14 Kakale auzotikotosa mu shango inowunga nkaka ne butji gwe nyutji, kene kuli kutipa thaka ye minda ne minda dze mizhambi. Apa wakazwimisila kutibiga ludandi mu mesho kene? Atitowozha!”
15 Mushe kazhala bushongola kadwa Yahwe kati, “Musitongo amutjila zwibhayilo zwabo. Andizotongo tolela mmwe wabo donki, kene kuli kutjinyidzila mmwe wabo tjimwe.”
16 Mushe kadwa Kora kati, “Iwe ne batobeli babo mangwana mumuke muzhe mbeli kwa Yahwe, Aroni unowobe alipobo. 17 Mmwe ne mmwe azhe ne lukambana gugwe kwe moto mbeli kwa Yahwe, mmwe ne mmwe alonge motsha muguli, ali makambana ali mazana mabili ana makumi mashanu (250) na Aroni azhebo ne gugwe.” 18 Ipapo mmwe ne mmwe kazha ne lukambana gugwe gwe moto guna masimbe anopisa mukati, bakalonga motsha pezhugwi kwe masimbe, bakanoma pa nkoba we nshasha we bushanganilo bana Mushe na Aroni. 19 Ndizo Kora kakubunganyila gubungano lose pa nkoba we nshasha we bushanganilo. Ngono kukaboneka tjedza tja Yahwe mbeli kwe gubungano lose. 20 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe na Aroni bakati, 21 “Milani kutjena ne gubungano ileli, kuti ndibalobese tjinyolotjo.”
22 Koga Mushe na Aroni bakathigama bakakotamisa njiso dzabo pasi, bakatembezela beti, “Imwi Ndzimu: Ndzimu we meya ye zwinotjila zose, apa mungazhalila gubungano lose bushongola ngono kwatjinya nthu nng'ompela kene?” 23 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe Bakati, 24 “Idwa gubungano libhude mu nzi wa Kora na Dathani na Abiramu.”
25 Ndizo Mushe kamilika ana batungamili be Iziraela, bakayenda kuna Dathani na Abiramu. 26 Kaswika kadwa gubungano kati, “Ndomukumbila idwani ipapa, mu mishasha ye bathu ibaba babiibi, musitongo bhata tjimwe tjabo, kusajalo mowolobesiwa nabo ngekwe zwibi zwabo.” 27 Ndizo gubungano likadwa pa mishasha ya Kora na Dathani na Abiramu. Ngono Dathani na Abiramu bakabhuda ne bakadzi ne bana babo, bakama pa mikoba ye mishasha yabo. 28 Mushe kadwa gubungano kati, “Ndiko sekwa munowoziba kuti Yahwe bandituma kuthama mishingo yose iyeyi, andizozwithamigwa nge kwangu. 29 Ha bathu ibaba bangafa lufu gwakawolobeleka se bathu bose, kene bangafa nge zila ye bathu yabagala befa ndiyo, ipapo kowobe kudwa kuti Yahwe abazondituma. 30 Koga ha Yahwe bangathama tjimwe tjitshwa, pasi pakaashama, pakabamidza, ne zwithu zwabo zose bebe beyenda ku bugalo gwe bafi bali bapenyu, ipapo mowoziba kuti bathu ibaba bakalengudza Yahwe.” 31 Kukati Mushe epedza leba matama wose iyawa, pasi pakapaluka kusi kwabo, 32 pakazhuka nlomo kukabamidzilanya ne misha yabo, ne balume bose bakabe bana Kora ne zwija zwabo. 33 Bose ne zwabakabe banazo bakayenda ku bugalo gwe bafi bali bapenyu, pasi kukabazhalilila, bakaloba bedwa pakati kwe gubungano. 34 Bathu bose be Iziraela bakabe bali ipapo, bakati behwa makuwo abo, bakatizha, bemimila beti, “Ngatitizheni! Pasi panodwa petimidzabo!”
35 Ndizo Yahwe bakadelusa moto ukapisa ukalobesa bathu ibaba bakabe bali mazana mabili ana makumi mashanu (250) bakabe bazhisa motsha.
Makambana e moto
36 Ipapo Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 37 “Idwa Eleazari nkololo we mpirisiti Aroni aduse makambana anopisila motsha mu moto, aduse masimbe mu makambana aapaladzile kutjena, ngobe makambana akayengemala. 38 Katsha makambana iyawa e balume bakafa bebulawa nge zwibi zwabo, uthame zwifumiko zwe tjibeso, ngobe bakaadusa mbeli kwa Yahwe, akayengemala. Ndizo anowobe tjilakidzo ku bathu be Iziraela.” 39 Ipapo Eleazari katola makambana akathamwa nge phangula, akadusiwa nge balume bakapisiwa, kaakatsha kathama ndigwana dzinofumika tjibeso. 40 Tjakabe ikumbuludzo, kukumbuludza bathu be Iziraela, kuti kusibe ne nthu usi mpirisiti, usi we bakololo ba Aroni, wakafanila sedzela pejo kupisa motsha mbeli kwa Yahwe. Ha angathama eijalo unowobona tjakabong'wa ndi Kora ne batobeli babe. I ndaulo yakapiwa Eleazari, kubudziwa Mushe.
Aroni unotjidza bathu
41 Tjimuka gubungano likang'ong'ola kuna Mushe na Aroni liti, “Makabulaya bathu ba Yahwe.” 42 Kukati gubungano lakubunganila kung'ong'ola kuna Mushe na Aroni, likatjebuka ku nshasha we bushanganilo, ngono bonani, gole likabe lakaufukidza, kukaboneka tjedza tja Yahwe. 43 Mushe na Aroni bakayenda bakanoma mbeli kwe nshasha we bushanganilo. 44 Ngono Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 45 “Bhudila kutjena ne gubungano ileli, kuti ndililobese tjinyolotjo!”
Mushe na Aroni bakathigama bakakotamisa njiso dzabo pasi. 46 Ngono Mushe kadwa Aroni kati, “Tola lukambana gugo gwe moto, ukokele masimbe anopisa muguli kudwa mu tjibeso. Ube ulonga motsha muguli, tjinyolotjo ugusengele ku gubungano, ubathamile gadzano na Yahwe, ngobe bushongola gwa Yahwe gwaswika ne tjiga tjatangisa.” 47 Ipapo Aroni kathama sekwa adwiwa ndi Mushe. Kalabukila pakati kwe gubungano, ngono bona, tjiga tjikabe tjatangisa kale, pakati kwe bathu. Kalonga motsha mu moto kathamila bathu gadzano na Yahwe. 48 Kama ali pakati kwe zwitumbu ne bapenyu, tjiga tjikama. 49 Bathu bakabe bafa nge tjiga bakabe bali zwiwulu zwili gumi lina bunna ne mazana ali kutendeka (14 700) kuzhe kwe bakafa nge mishingo ya Kora. 50 Kukati tjiga tjatjima, Aroni kashandukila kuna Mushe ku nkoba we nshasha we bushanganilo.