Nombres 16

1Coré, fils d’Isaar, fils de Caath, fils de Lévi, se fit des partisans, avec Dathan et Abiron, fils d’Eliab, et Hon, fils de Phéleth, ceux-ci, fils de Ruben,

2et ils se soulevèrent en présence de Moïse, ayant avec eux deux cent cinquante hommes des enfants d’Israël, princes de l’assemblée, appelés aux conseils et gens de renom.

3Ils s’attroupèrent contre Moïse et Aaron, et leur dirent : « C’en est assez ! car toute l’assemblée, tous sont saints, et Yahweh est au milieu d’eux. Pourquoi vous élevez-vous au-dessus de l’assemblée de Yahweh ? »

4Quand Moïse entendit cela, il tomba sur son visage.

5Il parla à Coré et à toute sa troupe en disant : « Demain, Yahweh fera connaître celui qui est à lui et qui est saint, et il le fera approcher de lui ; celui qu’il aura choisi, il le fera approcher de lui.

6Faites ceci : Prenez des encensoirs, Coré et toute sa troupe.

7Demain, mettez-y du feu, et jetez dessus du parfum devant Yahweh ; celui que Yahweh choisira, c’est lui qui est saint. C’en est assez, enfants de Lévi. »

8Moïse dit à Coré : « Écoutez donc, enfants de Lévi.

9Est-ce trop peu pour vous que le Dieu d’Israël vous ait séparés de l’assemblée d’Israël en vous faisant approcher de lui, pour faire le service de la Demeure de Yahweh, et pour vous tenir devant l’assemblée pour faire son service ?

10Il t’a fait approcher de lui, toi et tous tes frères, les enfants de Lévi, avec toi, et vous ambitionnez encore le sacerdoce !

11C’est pour cela que toi et toute ta troupe, vous vous assemblez contre Yahweh ! Et Aaron, qui est-il, pour que vous murmuriez contre lui ? »

12Moïse fit appeler Dathan et Abiron, fils d’Eliab ; et ils dirent : « Nous ne monterons pas.

13N’est-ce pas assez de nous avoir fait sortir d’un pays où coulent le lait et le miel pour nous faire mourir au désert, que tu t’ériges en maître sur nous ?

14Ah ! Ce n’est pas dans un pays où coulent le lait et le miel que tu nous as conduits ; ce ne sont pas des champs et des vignes que tu nous as donnés en possession ! Penses-tu crever les yeux de ces gens ? Nous ne monterons pas ! »

15Moïse, très irrité, dit à Yahweh : « N’ayez point égard à leur oblation. Je ne leur ai pas même pris un âne, et je n’ai fait de mal à aucun d’eux. »

16Moïse dit à Coré : « Toi et toute ta troupe, trouvez-vous demain devant Yahweh, toi et eux, avec Aaron.

17Prenez chacun votre encensoir, mettez-y du parfum et présentez chacun votre encensoir devant Yahweh : deux cent cinquante encensoirs ; toi aussi et Aaron, vous prendrez chacun votre encensoir. »

18Ils prirent chacun leur encensoir, y mirent du feu et y jetèrent du parfum, et ils se tinrent à l’entrée de la tente de réunion, avec Moïse et Aaron.

19Coré avait convoqué toute l’assemblée contre Moïse et Aaron, à l’entrée de la tente de réunion. Alors la gloire de Yahweh apparut à toute l’assemblée.

20Et Yahweh parla à Moïse et à Aaron, en disant :

21« Séparez-vous du milieu de cette assemblée, et je les consumerai en un instant. »

22Et ils tombèrent sur leur visage, et dirent : « Ô Dieu, Dieu des esprits de toute chair, un seul homme a péché, et tu t’irriterais contre toute l’assemblée ! »

23Yahweh parla à Moïse, en disant :

24« Parle à l’assemblée et dis : Écartez-vous tout à l’entour de la demeure de Coré, de Dathan et d’Abiron. »

25Moïse se leva et alla vers Dathan et Abiron, et des anciens d’Israël allèrent après lui.

26Il parla à l’assemblée, en disant : « Éloignez-vous des tentes de ces méchants hommes, et ne touchez à rien de ce qui leur appartient, de peur que vous ne périssiez, enveloppés dans tous leurs péchés. »

27Ils s’écartèrent tout à l’entour de la demeure de Coré, de Dathan et d’Abiron. Alors Dathan et Abiron étant sortis se tinrent à l’entrée de leurs tentes, avec leurs femmes, leurs fils et leurs petits enfants.

28Moïse dit : « Vous connaîtrez à ceci que Yahweh m’a envoyé pour faire toutes ces œuvres, et que je n’ agis pas de moi-même :

29Si ces gens meurent comme meurent tous les hommes, et si leur sort est celui de tous les hommes, ce n’est pas Yahweh qui m’a envoyé ;

30mais si Yahweh fait une chose inouïe, si la terre ouvre sa bouche et les engloutit, eux et tout ce qui leur appartient, et qu’ils descendent vivants dans le séjour des morts, vous saurez que ces gens ont méprisé Yahweh. »

31Comme il achevait de prononcer toutes ces paroles, le sol qui était sous eux se fendit.

32La terre ouvrit sa bouche et les engloutit, eux et leurs familles, avec tous les gens de Coré et tous leurs biens.

33Ils descendirent vivants dans le séjour des morts, eux et tout ce qui leur appartenait ; et la terre les recouvrit, et ils disparurent du milieu de l’assemblée.

34Tout Israël, qui était autour d’eux, s’enfuit à leur cri ; car ils disaient : « Fuyons, de peur que la terre ne nous engloutisse ! »

35Un feu sortit d’auprès de Yahweh et consuma les deux cent cinquante hommes qui offraient le parfum.

1Ecce autem Core filius Isaar, filii Caath, filii Levi, et Dathan atque Abiron filii Eliab, Hon quoque filius Pheleth de filiis Ruben,

2surrexerunt contra Moysen, aliique filiorum Israël ducenti quinquaginta viri proceres synagogæ, et qui tempore concilii per nomina vocabantur.

3Cumque stetissent adversum Moysen et Aaron, dixerunt: Sufficiat vobis, quia omnis multitudo sanctorum est, et in ipsis est Dominus: cur elevamini super populum Domini?

4Quod cum audisset Moyses, cecidit pronus in faciem:

5locutusque ad Core et ad omnem multitudinem: Mane, inquit, notum faciet Dominus qui ad se pertineant, et sanctos applicabit sibi: et quos elegerit, appropinquabunt ei.

6Hoc igitur facite: tollat unusquisque thuribula sua, tu Core, et omne concilium tuum:

7et hausto cras igne, ponite desuper thymiama coram Domino: et quemcumque elegerit, ipse erit sanctus: multum erigimini filii Levi.

8Dixitque rursum ad Core: Audite, filii Levi:

9num 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?

10idcirco ad se fecit accedere te et omnes fratres tuos filios Levi, ut vobis etiam sacerdotium vindicetis,

11et omnis globus tuus stet contra Dominum? quid est enim Aaron ut murmuretis contra eum?

12Misit ergo Moyses ut vocaret Dathan et Abiron filios Eliab. Qui responderunt: Non venimus.

13Numquid parum est tibi quod eduxisti nos de terra, quæ lacte et melle manabat, ut occideres in deserto, nisi et dominatus fueris nostri?

14Revera 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.

15Iratusque Moyses valde, ait ad Dominum: Ne respicias sacrificia eorum: tu scis quod ne asellum quidem umquam acceperim ab eis, nec afflixerim quempiam eorum.

16Dixitque ad Core: Tu, et omnis congregatio tua, state seorsum coram Domino, et Aaron die crastino separatim.

17Tollite singuli thuribula vestra, et ponite super ea incensum, offerentes Domino ducenta quinquaginta thuribula: Aaron quoque teneat thuribulum suum.

18Quod cum fecissent, stantibus Moyses et Aaron,

19et coacervassent adversum eos omnem multitudinem ad ostium tabernaculi, apparuit cunctis gloria Domini.

20Locutusque Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron, ait:

21Separamini de medio congregationis hujus, ut eos repente disperdam.

22Qui ceciderunt proni in faciem, atque dixerunt: Fortissime Deus spirituum universæ carnis, num uno peccante, contra omnes ira tua desæviet?

23Et ait Dominus ad Moysen:

24Præcipe universo populo ut separetur a tabernaculis Core et Dathan et Abiron.

25Surrexitque Moyses, et abiit ad Dathan et Abiron: et sequentibus eum senioribus Israël,

26dixit ad turbam: Recedite a tabernaculis hominum impiorum, et nolite tangere quæ ad eos pertinent, ne involvamini in peccatis eorum.

27Cumque recessissent a tentoriis eorum per circuitum, Dathan et Abiron egressi stabant in introitu papilionum suorum cum uxoribus et liberis, omnique frequentia.

28Et ait Moyses: In hoc scietis quod Dominus miserit me ut facerem universa quæ cernitis, et non ex proprio ea corde protulerim:

29si consueta hominum morte interierint, et visitaverit eos plaga, qua et ceteri visitari solent, non misit me Dominus:

30sin 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.

31Confestim igitur ut cessavit loqui, dirupta est terra sub pedibus eorum:

32et aperiens os suum, devoravit illos cum tabernaculis suis et universa substantia eorum,

33descenderuntque vivi in infernum operti humo, et perierunt de medio multitudinis.

34At vero omnis Israël, qui stabat per gyrum, fugit ad clamorem pereuntium, dicens: Ne forte et nos terra deglutiat.

35Sed et ignis egressus a Domino interfecit ducentos quinquaginta viros, qui offerebant incensum.

36Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

37Præcipe Eleazaro filio Aaron sacerdoti ut tollat thuribula quæ jacent in incendio, et ignem huc illucque dispergat: quoniam sanctificata sunt

38in 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.

39Tulit ergo Eleazar sacerdos thuribula ænea, in quibus obtulerant hi quos incendium devoravit, et produxit ea in laminas, affigens altari:

40ut 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.

41Murmuravit autem omnis multitudo filiorum Israël sequenti die contra Moysen et Aaron, dicens: Vos interfecistis populum Domini.

42Cumque oriretur seditio, et tumultus incresceret,

43Moyses et Aaron fugerunt ad tabernaculum fœderis. Quod, postquam ingressi sunt, operuit nubes, et apparuit gloria Domini.

44Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen:

45Recedite de medio hujus multitudinis, etiam nunc delebo eos. Cumque jacerent in terra,

46dixit 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.

47Quod cum fecisset Aaron, et cucurrisset ad mediam multitudinem, quam jam vastabat incendium, obtulit thymiama:

48et stans inter mortuos ac viventes, pro populo deprecatus est, et plaga cessavit.

49Fuerunt autem qui percussi sunt, quatuordecim millia hominum, et septingenti, absque his qui perierant in seditione Core.

50Reversusque est Aaron ad Moysen ad ostium tabernaculi fœderis postquam quievit interitus.

1And 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,

2Rose 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.

3And 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?

4When Moses heard this, he fell flat on his face:

5And 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.

6Do this therefore: Take every man of you your censers, thou Core, and all thy company.

7And putting fire in them tomorrow, 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.

8And he said again to Core: Hear ye sons of Levi.

9Is 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?

10Did 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,

11And that all thy company should stand against the Lord? for what is Aaron that you murmur against him?

12Then Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab. But they answered: We will not come.

13Is 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?

14Thou best 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.

15Moses therefore being very angry, raid 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.

16And he said to Core: Do thou and thy congregation stand apart before the Lord tomorrow, and Aaron apart.

17Take 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.

18When they had done this, Moses and Aaron standing,

19And had drawn up all the multitude against them to the door of the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.

20And the Lord speaking to Moses and Aaron, said:

21Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may presently destroy them.

22They 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?

23And the Lord said to Moses:

24Command the whole people to separate themselves from the tents of Core and Dathan and Abiron.

25And Moses arose, and went to Dathan and Abiron: and the ancients of Israel following him,

26He said to the multitude: Depart from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be involved in their sins.

27And 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.

28And 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:

29If 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.

30But 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.

31And immediately as he had made an end of speaking, the earth broke asunder under their feet:

32And opening her mouth, devoured them with their tents and all their substance.

33And they went down alive into hell the ground closing upon them, and they perished from among the people.

34But 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.

35And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

36And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

37Command 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

38In 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.

39Then 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:

40That 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 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.

41The following day all the multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: You have killed the people of the Lord.

42And when there arose a sedition, and the tumult increased,

43Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the covenant. And when the were gone into it, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.

44And the Lord said to Moses:

45Get you out from the midst of this multitude, this moment will I destroy them. And as they were lying on the ground,

46Moses 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.

47When Aaron had done this, and had run to the midst of the multitude which the burning fire was now destroying, he offered the incense:

48And standing between the dead and the living, he prayed for the people, and the plague ceased.

49And the number of them that were slain was fourteen thousand and seven hundred men, besides them that had perished in the sedition of Core.

50And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant after the destruction was over.