Numbers 16

¹ Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On turn against Moses. (Korah na son of Izhar. Izhar na son of Kohath, and Kohath na son of Levi. Dathan and Abiram na brothers, sons of Eliab. And On na son of Peleth. Dathan, Abiram, and On na descendants of Reuben.)

² Naso dem ask for support of 250 Israelite leaders wey people respect well, and dem go meet Moses

³ and Aaron and say, “Why una think say una better pass everyone else? We be part of God holy people, and he dey with all of us. Wetin make una think say na una dey in charge?”

⁴ When Moses hear wetin dem talk, he kneel down to pray.

⁵ He come tell Korah and him followers say: Tomorrow morning God go show us the person wey he don choose to be him priest, and that man go serve him with all him heart.

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⁷ Korah, na wetin you and your followers go do be this: Get some fire pans, full them with coal and incense, and put them near holy tent. And the man God choose go be him priest. Korah, this time you Levites don go too far!

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⁹ Una know say God of Israel don choose you Levites from all Israel to dey serve him for inside holy tent, and to dey help the community worship for proper way. Wetin una want again?

¹⁰ God don give una special work to dey do, and now, Korah, you think say na you suppose be him priest.

¹¹ You and your followers don rebel against God, no be against Aaron.

¹² Moses come say make dem go call Dathan and Abiram, but dem talk say, “We no go come!

¹³ E never do you as you don take us commot for our fertile farmland for Egypt to allow us die for this desert? Now you wan dey form boss on top us!

¹⁴ You dey always promise us farmland wey get fertile fields and vineyards – but where dem dey? Abeg stop to dey try trick us. We no go come see you.”

¹⁵ Moses come vex and tell God say, “No listen to these men! I never do anything to wrong them. I never take any of their donkey.”

¹⁶ He come tell Korah say, “You and your followers must follow Aaron go God holy tent tomorrow.

¹⁷ Make each of una take fire pan with incense inside am and offer the incense to God.”

¹⁸ Next day, dem put incense and coal inside fire pan and stand with Moses and Aaron for entrance of holy tent.

¹⁹ But Korah don tell rest of Israelites say make dem rebel against their two leaders. When e happen, God show with all him glory

²⁰ and tell Moses and Aaron say,

²¹ “Commot from rest of the Israelites, so that I fit kill them once!”

²² But the two men bow down and pray. “Our God, na you give these people life. Why you go punish everyone wey dey here when e be say na only one man don sin?”

²³ God answer Moses,

²⁴ “Tell people make dem stay away from tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

²⁵ Moses go meet Dathan and Abiram, and other leaders of Israel follow.

²⁶ Moses come warn the people say, “Make una commot for the tent od these sinful men! No touch anything wey be their own or una go die.”

²⁷ Naso everyone move commot for those tents, but Korah, Dathan, Abiram and their family no move commot.

²⁸ Moses tell the crowd say, “Na God choose me and tell me say make I do these things – no be my idea. And na how una go know be this:

²⁹ If these men die natural death, that mean say God never choose me.

³⁰ But suppose say God do something wey never happen before, for example, make a huge crack just appear for ground, and make these men and their family fall inside, make e bury them alive with everything wey dem get? Una go come know say dem don turn against God!”

³¹ As Moses talk am, the ground wey dey under the men just open up

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³³ and swallow them, with their family and everything wey dem get. Naso the ground close back, and dem don disappear.

³⁴ The rest of Israelites hear their scream, naso dem run commot and begin dey shout say, “We no want make that kind thing happen to us!”

³⁵ Suddenly God send fire and burn the 250 men wey don offer incense to him.

³⁶ God come tell Moses say,

³⁷ “Tell Aaron son, Eleazar, make he take the fire pan from the small fire and scatter the coal. The pan don turn holy,

³⁸ because dem use them offer incense to me. Make dem hammer them to thin layer of bronze for altar cover. Those men die for their sin, and now the fire pan go be warning for rest of the community.”

³⁹ Eleazar collect them and dem hammer them to thin layer of bronze for altar cover,

⁴⁰ just as God don tell Moses. The pans na warning to Israelites say na only Aaron descendants go dey offer incense to God. Anyone else wey try am go receive punishment like Korah and him followers.

⁴¹ The next day, the people begin dey complain against Moses and Aaron say, “The two of una kill some of God people!”

⁴² As the people gather round them, Moses and Aaron turn to holy tent, and God appear for cloud and cover the tent with him glory.

⁴³ Naso Moses and Aaron walk go front of the tent,

⁴⁴ where God tell them say,

⁴⁵ “Stand back! I go wipe out these Israelites once and for all.” Dem quickly bow down and pray.

⁴⁶ Moses come tell Aaron say, “Take your fire pan and full am with hot coal from the altar. Put incense inside am, make you quickly take am to where the people dey and offer am to God, so that dem fit get forgiveness. God dey vex, and people don already start to dey die.

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⁴⁸ Aaron do wetin Moses don tell him. He run go where crowd of people dey and stand between dead body and people wey still dey alive. He put the incense inside pan, offer am to God and ask God to forgive the people sin. The disease come stop to dey spread, and dem no dey die from am again.

⁴⁹ But 14,700 Israelites don die, not counting the one wey die with Korah and him followers.

⁵⁰ Aaron walk back and stand with Moses for holy tent.