And behold Core the son of Isaar, the son of Caath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab, and Hon the son of Pheleth of the children of Ruben,

Ecce autem Core filius Isaar, filii Caath, filii Levi, et Dathan atque Abiron filii Eliab, Hon quoque filius Pheleth de filiis Ruben,

And now a conspiracy was made by Core son of Isaar, a Levite of Caath’s family, with Dathan and Abiron, sons of Eliab, and Hon son of Pheleth, a man of Ruben.

Rose up against Moses, and with them two hundred and fifty others of the children of Israel, leading men of the synagogue, and who in the time of assembly were called by name.

surrexerunt contra Moysen, aliique filiorum Israël ducenti quinquaginta viri proceres synagogæ, et qui tempore concilii per nomina vocabantur.

These rose in rebellion against Moses, and there were two hundred and fifty others, whose names stood high in the councils of the people, that took part with them.

And when they had stood up against Moses and Aaron, they said: Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them: Why lift you up yourselves above the people of the Lord?

Cumque stetissent adversum Moysen et Aaron, dixerunt: Sufficiat vobis, quia omnis multitudo sanctorum est, et in ipsis est Dominus: cur elevamini super populum Domini?

And they confronted Moses and Aaron, making their protest thus: You presume too much; are not all the Israelites men set apart? Does not the Lord make his dwelling among all of us alike? We are the Lord’s people; who are you that you should take command of us?

When Moses heard this, he fell flat on his face:

Quod cum audisset Moyses, cecidit pronus in faciem:

At hearing this, Moses cast himself down to earth.

And speaking to Core and all the multitude, he said: In the morning the Lord will make known who belong to him, and the holy he will join to himself: and whom he shall choose, they shall approach to him.

locutusque ad Core et ad omnem multitudinem: Mane, inquit, notum faciet Dominus qui ad se pertineant, et sanctos applicabit sibi: et quos elegerit, appropinquabunt ei.

To Core, and to his faction, he said, Wait until to-morrow; then the Lord will make it plain which of us he has set apart for himself, and admit them to his presence. Those whom the Lord has chosen will find access to him.

Do this therefore: Take every man of you your censers, thou Core, and all thy company.

Hoc igitur facite: tollat unusquisque thuribula sua, tu Core, et omne concilium tuum:

Let this be the test; bring censers with you, Core and all you that are of his faction,

And putting fire in them to morrow, put incense upon it before the Lord: and whomsoever he shall choose, the same shall be holy: you take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.

et hausto cras igne, ponite desuper thymiama coram Domino: et quemcumque elegerit, ipse erit sanctus: multum erigimini filii Levi.

and tomorrow, in the Lord’s presence, put incense on the lighted coals in them; so the Lord will make his choice, and we shall know which of us he has set apart; it is you, sons of Levi, that presume too much.

And he said again to Core: Hear ye sons of Levi.

Dixitque rursum ad Core: Audite, filii Levi:

And he made this further answer to Core: Listen, men of Levi;

Is it a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath spared you from all the people, and joined you to himself, that you should serve him in the service of the tabernacle, and should stand before the congregation of the people, and should minister to him?

num parum vobis est quod separavit vos Deus Israël ab omni populo, et junxit sibi, ut serviretis ei in cultu tabernaculi, et staretis coram frequentia populi, et ministraretis ei?

the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the people and made you his own, to do him service in the tabernacle, and stand up, with the eyes of the whole multitude upon you, as his ministers; does not that content you?

Did he therefore make thee and all thy brethren the sons of Levi to approach unto him, that you should challenge to yourselves the priesthood also,

idcirco ad se fecit accedere te et omnes fratres tuos filios Levi, ut vobis etiam sacerdotium vindicetis,

If he has given thee and all thy brother Levites access to himself, must you needs claim the priesthood too?

And that all thy company should stand against the Lord? for what is Aaron that you murmur against him?

et omnis globus tuus stet contra Dominum? quid est enim Aaron ut murmuretis contra eum?

Must thou and all thy company rebel against the Lord? Aaron, what has he done that you should complain so loudly of him?

Then Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab. But they answered: We will not come.

Misit ergo Moyses ut vocaret Dathan et Abiron filios Eliab. Qui responderunt: Non venimus.

Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiron, sons of Eliab, to his presence, but they refused to come.

Is it a small matter to thee, that thou hast brought us out of a land that flowed with milk and honey, to kill us in the desert, except thou rule also like a lord over us?

Numquid parum est tibi quod eduxisti nos de terra, quæ lacte et melle manabat, ut occideres in deserto, nisi et dominatus fueris nostri?

What, they said, wouldst thou lord it over us now? When thou hast brought us away from Egypt, a land that was milk and honey indeed, to die here in the desert?

Thou hast brought us indeed into a land that floweth with rivers of milk and honey, and hast given us possessions of fields and vineyards; wilt thou also pull out our eyes? We will not come.

Revera induxisti nos in terram, quæ fluit rivis lactis et mellis, et dedisti nobis possessiones agrorum et vinearum: an et oculos nostros vis eruere? non venimus.

No land of milk and honey for our journey’s end, no fields and vineyards to enjoy; what more wilt thou ask of us? Wilt thou pluck out our eyes too? No, we will not come.

Moses therefore being very angry, said to the Lord: Respect not their sacrifices: thou knowest that I have not taken of them so much as a young ass at any time, nor have injured any of them.

Iratusque Moyses valde, ait ad Dominum: Ne respicias sacrificia eorum: tu scis quod ne asellum quidem umquam acceperim ab eis, nec afflixerim quempiam eorum.

At this, Moses said to the Lord, in great anger, Spurn every gift these men offer thee! Thou knowest that I have never robbed them of an ass, or done them any harm.

And he said to Core: Do thou and thy congregation stand apart before the Lord to morrow, and Aaron apart.

Dixitque ad Core: Tu, et omnis congregatio tua, state seorsum coram Domino, et Aaron die crastino separatim.

Then he said to Core, Present yourselves before the Lord to-morrow, thou and the whole of thy company; you shall stand on one side, and Aaron on the other.

Take every one of you censers, and put incense upon them, offering to the Lord two hundred and fifty censers: let Aaron also hold his censer.

Tollite singuli thuribula vestra, et ponite super ea incensum, offerentes Domino ducenta quinquaginta thuribula: Aaron quoque teneat thuribulum suum.

Bring your censers with you, and you shall put incense on them there; you with two hundred censers, and Aaron with his censer all alone.

When they had done this, Moses and Aaron standing,

Quod cum fecissent, stantibus Moyses et Aaron,

There, on the morrow, Moses and Aaron stood, and those others did as they were bidden,

And had drawn up all the multitude against them to the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.

et coacervassent adversum eos omnem multitudinem ad ostium tabernaculi, apparuit cunctis gloria Domini.

and gathered the whole multitude to meet them at the tabernacle door. And the glory of the Lord’s presence was revealed to them all.

And the Lord speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:

Locutusque Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron, ait:

But it was to Moses and Aaron that the Lord spoke;

Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them.

Separamini de medio congregationis hujus, ut eos repente disperdam.

Stand apart, he said, from all the concourse that surrounds you; I mean to make an end of them here and now.

They fell flat on their face, and said: O most mighty, the God of the spirits of all flesh, for one man’s sin shall thy wrath rage against all?

Qui ceciderunt proni in faciem, atque dixerunt: Fortissime Deus spirituum universæ carnis, num uno peccante, contra omnes ira tua desæviet?

Whereupon they fell flat on the ground, crying out, God all-powerful, Lord of every spirit that breathes, wilt thou take vengeance on all for one man’s fault?

And the Lord said to Moses:

Et ait Dominus ad Moysen:

And the Lord said to Moses,

Command the whole people to separate themselves from the tents of Core and Dathan and Abiron.

Præcipe universo populo ut separetur a tabernaculis Core et Dathan et Abiron.

Bid all the rest of the people stand apart from the tents of Core, Dathan, and Abiron.

And Moses arose, and went to Dathan and Abiron: and the ancients of Israel following him,

Surrexitque Moyses, et abiit ad Dathan et Abiron: et sequentibus eum senioribus Israël,

And Moses, rising to his feet, went over to where Dathan and Abiron stood; with him were the elders of the people.

He said to the multitude: Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be involved in their sins.

dixit ad turbam: Recedite a tabernaculis hominum impiorum, et nolite tangere quæ ad eos pertinent, ne involvamini in peccatis eorum.

Withdraw, he told the multitude, from the tents of these rebels; avoid the touch of anything that belongs to them, so that you may not be involved in their guilt.

And when they were departed from their tents round about, Dathan and Abiron coming out stood in the entry of their pavilions with their wives and children, and all the people.

Cumque recessissent a tentoriis eorum per circuitum, Dathan et Abiron egressi stabant in introitu papilionum suorum cum uxoribus et liberis, omnique frequentia.

So they withdrew to this side and that, from the dwelling-places of Core, Dathan and Abiron; and now Dathan and Abiron came out and stood at their tent doors, with their wives and children and all their households.

And Moses said: By this you shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all things that you see, and that I have not forged them of my own head:

Et ait Moyses: In hoc scietis quod Dominus miserit me ut facerem universa quæ cernitis, et non ex proprio ea corde protulerim:

Here is proof, Moses said, whether it is at the Lord’s bidding I do all you see me do, or prompted by my own spirit.

If these men die the common death of men, and if they be visited with a plague, wherewith others also are wont to be visited, the Lord did not send me.

si consueta hominum morte interierint, et visitaverit eos plaga, qua et ceteri visitari solent, non misit me Dominus:

If these men are left to undergo the common lot of mortality, called to their account as others are called to their account, then they are right; the Lord has given me no commission.

But if the Lord do a new thing, and the earth opening her mouth swallow them down, and all things that belong to them, and they go down alive into hell, you shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord.

sin autem novam rem fecerit Dominus, ut aperiens terra os suum deglutiat eos et omnia quæ ad illos pertinent, descenderintque viventes in infernum, scietis quod blasphemaverint Dominum.

But if the Lord alters the order of nature, so that earth gapes and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they go down still living to the depths beneath, then you will have proof that they have spoken blasphemy against the Lord.

And immediately as he had made an end of speaking, the earth broke asunder under their feet:

Confestim igitur ut cessavit loqui, dirupta est terra sub pedibus eorum:

He had scarce done speaking, when the ground parted under their feet,

And opening her mouth, devoured them with their tents and all their substance.

et aperiens os suum, devoravit illos cum tabernaculis suis et universa substantia eorum,

gaped open, and swallowed them up, with their tents and all that was theirs.

And they went down alive into hell, the ground closing upon them, and they perished from among the people.

descenderuntque vivi in infernum operti humo, et perierunt de medio multitudinis.

Still living they went down to the depths beneath, and earth closed over them, and their names were lost to the muster-roll of the people.

But all Israel, that was standing round about, fled at the cry of them that were perishing: saying: Lest perhaps the earth swallow us up also.

At vero omnis Israël, qui stabat per gyrum, fugit ad clamorem pereuntium, dicens: Ne forte et nos terra deglutiat.

And now all the Israelites who stood round and heard the shrieks of the dying fled away, in dread that they too would be swallowed up by the earth;

And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

Sed et ignis egressus a Domino interfecit ducentos quinquaginta viros, qui offerebant incensum.

but not before the two hundred and fifty men who stood there offering incense had perished by fire sent from heaven.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

Then the Lord said to Moses,

Command Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers that lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire of one side and the other: because they are sanctified

Præcipe Eleazaro filio Aaron sacerdoti ut tollat thuribula quæ jacent in incendio, et ignem huc illucque dispergat: quoniam sanctificata sunt

Bid Aaron’s son, the priest Eleazar, gather up the censers that lie there among the flames, and scatter the coal in them this way and that.

In the deaths of the sinners: and let him beat them into plates, and fasten them to the altar, because incense hath been offered in them to the Lord, and they are sanctified, that the children of Israel may see them for a sign and a memorial.

in mortibus peccatorum: producatque ea in laminas, et affigat altari, eo quod oblatum sit in eis incensum Domino, et sanctificata sint, ut cernant ea pro signo et monimento filii Israël.

They are forfeit, now, through the death of these sinners; he must beat them out into plates, which he will nail to the altar. Incense has been offered to the Lord in them, and they must be consecrated things, a portent and a warning to every Israelite who sees them.

Then Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherein they had offered, whom the burning fire had devoured, and beat them into plates, fastening them to the altar:

Tulit ergo Eleazar sacerdos thuribula ænea, in quibus obtulerant hi quos incendium devoravit, et produxit ea in laminas, affigens altari:

So the priest Eleazar took these brazen censers from the hands of the dead men the fire had killed, and beat them into plates, which he nailed to the altar,

That the children of Israel might have for the time to come wherewith they should be admonished, that no stranger or any one that is not of the seed of Aaron should come near to offer incense to the Lord, lest he should suffer as Core suffered, and all his congregation, according as the Lord spoke to Moses.

ut haberent postea filii Israël, quibus commonerentur ne quis accedat alienigena, et qui non est de semine Aaron ad offerendum incensum Domino, ne patiatur sicut passus est Core, et omnis congregatio ejus, loquente Domino ad Moysen.

as a warning to the Israelites of after times. No interloper, that is not of Aaron’s stock, must ever come forward to offer the Lord incense, or he will suffer the fate of Core and his company, the fate which the Lord, through Moses, foretold to them.

The following day all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: You have killed the people of the Lord.

Murmuravit autem omnis multitudo filiorum Israël sequenti die contra Moysen et Aaron, dicens: Vos interfecistis populum Domini.

Next day, the men of Israel were enraged against Moses and Aaron, for putting the Lord’s people to death.

And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased,

Cumque oriretur seditio, et tumultus incresceret,

A conspiracy was formed, and the uproar grew fiercer,

Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. And when they were gone into it, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

Moyses et Aaron fugerunt ad tabernaculum fœderis. Quod, postquam ingressi sunt, operuit nubes, et apparuit gloria Domini.

until Moses and Aaron took refuge in the tabernacle. As soon as they entered it, the cloud overshadowed it, and the glory of the Lord’s presence was revealed.

And the Lord said to Moses:

Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen:

And the Lord said to Moses,

Get you out from the midst of this multitude, this moment will I destroy them. And as they were lying on the ground,

Recedite de medio hujus multitudinis, etiam nunc delebo eos. Cumque jacerent in terra,

Withdraw yourselves from this multitude which surrounds you; I mean, after all, to make an end of them. And as they lay there with their faces to the ground,

Moses said to Aaron: Take the censer, and putting fire in it from the altar, put incense upon it, and go quickly to the people to pray for them: for already wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague rageth.

dixit Moyses ad Aaron: Tolle thuribulum, et hausto igne de altari, mitte incensum desuper, pergens cito ad populum, ut roges pro eis: jam enim egressa est ira a Domino, et plaga desævit.

Moses said to Aaron, Take thy censer, and put incense on the lighted coals in it, and go with all speed to find the people and make intercession for them; already the Lord has begun to wreak his vengeance, and destruction rages among them.

When Aaron had done this, and had run to the midst of the multitude which the burning fire was now destroying, he offered the incense:

Quod cum fecisset Aaron, et cucurrisset ad mediam multitudinem, quam jam vastabat incendium, obtulit thymiama:

Aaron obeyed, and ran into the midst of the throng where the fire was already making havoc; he offered incense

And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the plague ceased.

et stans inter mortuos ac viventes, pro populo deprecatus est, et plaga cessavit.

and made intercession for the people, standing there between the dead and the living, and the divine vengeance ceased.

And the number of them that were slain was fourteen thousand and seven hundred men, besides them that had perished in the sedition of Core.

Fuerunt autem qui percussi sunt, quatuordecim millia hominum, et septingenti, absque his qui perierant in seditione Core.

Already fourteen thousand seven hundred men had been smitten by it, not counting those who perished in the rebellion of Core.

And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant after the destruction was over.

Reversusque est Aaron ad Moysen ad ostium tabernaculi fœderis postquam quievit interitus.

But now the destruction was over, and Aaron went back to meet Moses at the tabernacle door.