Numbers 16:23-35

Complete Jewish Bible

²³ Adonai answered Moshe, ²⁴ “Tell the assembly to move away from the homes of Korach, Datan and Aviram.” ²⁵ Moshe got up and went to Datan and Aviram, and the leaders of Isra’el followed him. ²⁶ There he said to the assembly, “Leave the tents of these wicked men! Don’t touch anything that belongs to them, or you may be swept away in all their sins.” ²⁷ So they moved away from all around the area where Korach, Datan and Aviram lived.

Then Datan and Aviram came out and stood at the entrance to their tents with their wives, sons and little ones. ²⁸ Moshe said, “Here is how you will know that Adonai has sent me to do all these things and that I haven’t done them out of my own ambition: ²⁹ if these men die a natural death like other people, only sharing the fate common to all humanity, then Adonai has not sent me. ³⁰ But if Adonai does something new — if the ground opens up and swallows them with everything they own, and they go down alive to Sh’ol — then you will understand that these men have had contempt for Adonai.”

³¹ The moment he finished speaking, the ground under them split apart — ³² the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all the people who had sided with Korach and everything they owned. ³³ So they and everything they owned went down alive into Sh’ol, the earth closed over them and their existence in the community ceased. ³⁴ All Isra’el around them fled at their shrieks, shouting, “The earth might swallow us too!” ³⁵ Then fire came out from Adonai and destroyed the 250 men who had offered the incense.