Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



When the tent is to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When we camp, they will set it up. Anyone else who comes near the tent will be put to death. Verse ConceptsAccess To God, In Old TestamentStrangersExclusionMaking The TabernacleDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is NearDeath ApproachingMoving To A New Place


Moses, Aaron, and his sons put up their tents on the east side in front of the tent of meeting. They were in charge of the holy place on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who tried to do the Levites' duties had to be put to death. Verse ConceptsHigh Priest, In OtExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceCamping During The ExodusDanger When God Is Near

However the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die. Verse ConceptsExclusion

He followed Jehovah's command given through Moses. The copper-covered altar will remind Israel that no one but a descendant of Aaron may come near to burn incense to Jehovah. Everyone else will die like Korah and his followers. Verse ConceptsPriests, Institution In Ot TimesStrangersExclusion

They are to fulfill their duties to you and their responsibilities for the tent. However they must not have any contact with sacred objects in the Holy Place or with the altar. If they do, both they and you will be put to death. Verse ConceptsExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesAccess To God, In Old TestamentMediatorPriesthood, In OtServanthood, And Worship Of GodExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

The other Israelites must never again come near the tent of meeting. Otherwise, they will suffer the consequences of their sin and die. Verse ConceptsExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

They are to fulfill their duties to you and their responsibilities for the tent. However they must not have any contact with sacred objects in the Holy Place or with the altar. If they do, both they and you will be put to death. Verse ConceptsExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesAccess To God, In Old TestamentMediatorPriesthood, In OtServanthood, And Worship Of GodExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

Moses the servant of Jehovah (YHWH) died. After his death Jehovah spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying: Moses my servant is dead. Arise and cross over the Jordan River. Take the people into the land given to them, even to the children of Israel. I give you every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon just as I promised Moses. read more.
From the wilderness and nearby Lebanon even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun (to the west), shall be your coast. No man will be able to resist you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous for you will help this people inherit the land. This is the land I swore to give to their fathers. Be strong and very courageous, that you may be careful to do according to all the Law, which Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law will not depart out of your mouth. You must meditate (intensely study) (think deeply) on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. Then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage. Do not be afraid, neither be dismayed; for Jehovah your God is with you wherever you go.

Jehovah said to Aaron: You, your sons, and your family will be responsible for any sins against the holy place. You and your sons will also be responsible for any sins you commit when you work as priests. Bring the other Levites from your ancestor's tribe to join you and help you and your sons serve in front of the tent of the words of my promise. They are to fulfill their duties to you and their responsibilities for the tent. However they must not have any contact with sacred objects in the Holy Place or with the altar. If they do, both they and you will be put to death. read more.
They are to work with you and fulfill their responsibilities for all the service in the tent. No unqualified person may work with you. You and your sons alone must fulfill the responsibilities for the Holy Place and the altar. That way my anger will not again break out against the people of Israel. I chose the other Levites from among the Israelites to help you. They are a gift given to Jehovah to do the necessary work at the tent of meeting. Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die.

Jehovah said to Moses: Take Joshua son of Nun, a capable man, and place your hands on his head. Have him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the entire congregation, and there before them all proclaim him as your successor. Give him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him. read more.
He will depend on Eleazar the priest, who will learn my will by using the Urim and Thummim. In this way Eleazar will direct Joshua and the whole congregation of Israel in all their affairs. Moses did as Jehovah commanded him. He had Joshua stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation. Moses put his hands on Joshua's head and proclaimed him as his successor, just as Jehovah proclaimed.

Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all the people of Israel: Be determined and with good courage. You are the one who will lead these people to occupy the land Jehovah promised to their ancestors. Jehovah is the one who goes ahead of you. He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be downhearted.

Then Jehovah said to Moses: Behold, the time for you to die is near. Call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him. So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting. Jehovah appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. The pillar of cloud stood at the doorway of the tent. Jehovah said to Moses: You are about to lie down with your fathers in death. This people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land. They will plunge into the midst of it. They will forsake me and break my covenant that I made with them. read more.
My anger will be kindled against them in that day. I will abandon them and hide my face from them. They will be consumed by many evils and troubles. They will say in that day: 'Is it because our God is not among us that these evils have come upon us?' I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil they will do. They will turn to other gods. Write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel. Put it on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for me against the sons of Israel. When I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn me and break my covenant. Then it will happen, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before them as a witness. It shall not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants. I know the intent they are developing today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore. So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel. Jehovah gave this command to Joshua, son of Nun: Be strong and courageous, because you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with you.

He then said to me: Son of man, go to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. Verse ConceptsMediationSpeaking The Word God Gives

Jesus sent the twelve. He gave them orders not to go to the people of the nations and not to go to the Samaritans. He said: Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Preach as you go! Announce the kingdom of heaven, for it is near. read more.
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid. Do not take gold, silver, or copper money in your money belt. Take no extra clothes, not even two coats, no extra shoes or walking stick for the laborer is worthy of his food. Go into a city or village and search for the worthy ones. Stay with them until you are ready to leave. When you enter the house, offer a blessing of peace. If the people are worthy, let your blessing stand. If they are not worthy, let your peace return to you. If someone will not welcome you and listen to the message, leave that house or town, shake the dust off your feet and move on. I tell you, it will be better for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that town. I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Beware of men! They will take you to court! They will have you beaten in their meeting places. You will be taken before governors and kings for my sake. This will serve as a testimony to them and to the people of the nations. When they hand you over, do not worry about what to say and how to say it. You will be given the words to speak at that time. You will not speak on your own. Your Father's Spirit will speak through you. People will hand over their brothers to be put to death. Parents will oppose children and children will oppose parents, causing them to be put to death. Men will hate you because of me. He who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to the next. I tell you; before you have gone through all the cities of Israel the Son of man will come. A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a servant his master. It is enough for the disciple (student) that he is like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they called the master of the house Beelzebub (Satan), others of the household could also be called the same! Do not be afraid. Nothing will be hidden. Every secret will be made known. The things I tell you in darkness, speak in the light. Proclaim everything you hear from on top of the house. Do not fear those who kill the body. They are not able to take away your [everlasting] life. Instead, fear him who is able to destroy both life and body in the ever-burning fires. (Greek: Gehenna: continuously burning trash fires in the valley of Hinnom.) Do two sparrows sell for a penny? Not one of them will fall on the ground without your Father knowing. Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear! You are more valuable than many sparrows. I will tell my heavenly Father about everyone who confesses me (witnesses to others about me) before men. I will deny, before my heavenly Father, anyone who denies me before men. Do not think I came to bring peace on the earth. I came not to bring peace, but a sword. My coming will cause a separation. A man will be against his father and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies will be from his own family. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. He who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not pick up his stake and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward. Anyone who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives a drink of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will not lose his reward.

When someone will not listen to you leave that house and shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony to the householder. Verse ConceptsGesturesFeetHospitality, A Duty Of God's PeopleOpportunities, And SalvationWiping DustPeople Abandoning Peoplefatedustwelcome

The Lord appointed seventy disciples and sent them in groups of two into every city and place where he was about to go. He said to them: The harvest indeed is great but the laborers are few. Pray that the Master (Controller) (Lord) of the harvest will send laborers into his harvest. Go your way for I send you as lambs in the midst of wolves. read more.
Carry no purse, no wallet, and no shoes; and greet no man on the way. When you enter a house say; may this house have peace. If a son of peace lives there, your peace shall rest upon him. If not, it shall return to you again. Remain in that house eating and drinking what they give you. The laborer is worthy of his hire. Do not stay in different houses. When they receive you in their city eat what ever they set before you. Heal the sick that are there and say to them, the kingdom of God is near you. If they do not receive you in their city go into their streets and, Shake off the dust that clings to your feet, from that city, so they may know that the kingdom of God came near. I tell you, it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! If the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. Will you Capernaum be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to the grave. He that hears you hears me; and he that rejects you rejects me and he that rejects me rejects him that sent me.

I entrust this command to you, Timothy, my son. It is in accordance with the prophecies that were previously made. They do apply to you, and with them you may fight the good fight. Keep the faith and maintain a good conscience! Some have rejected these things and have suffered shipwreck to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander. I handed them over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

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Do not rebuke (censure) (criticize) an elder, but appeal to him as a father, the younger men as brothers. Treat the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with much honor. Honor widows that are truly widows. read more.
But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show righteousness towards their own family, and to repay their parents: for this is acceptable in the sight of God. Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, has her hope set on God, and continues in supplications and prayers day and night. But she that gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives. Command these things that they may be without reproach. If any do not provide for his own, and specially his own household, he denies the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. Let a widow be put on the list if she is under sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, having a good reputation for good works, if she has brought up children, if she has been hospitable to strangers, if she has washed the feet of the holy ones, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. Refuse younger widows: for when their sexual impulses come between them and Christ, they desire to marry. They have judgment, because they have rejected their first pledge. They also learn to be idle, going about from house to house; and not only idle, but gossipers and busybodies, speaking things that they should not. I desire therefore that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule the household, and give no occasion to the adversary for reviling. Some have already turned aside after Satan. If any woman that believes has dependant widows, she must assist them and not let the congregation be burdened. Then it can assist those who are actually widows. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching. For the scripture said: You must not muzzle the bull while he is threshing. The workman is worthy of his wages. Do not offer an accusation against an elder, except at the mouth of two or three witnesses. Reprove the sinner in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear. I charge you in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels, that you observe these [principles] without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality. Do not lay your hands hastily on any man, neither be a partaker of other men's sins: keep yourself pure.

For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God that is in you because of the laying on of my hands. God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear), but of power and love and discipline. Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me his prisoner. Join me in suffering for the good news according to the power of God. read more.
God has saved us and called us with a holy calling. This is not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace that was granted us in Christ Jesus, from all eternity. The appearance of our Savior Christ Jesus revealed this. Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the good news. I was appointed to be a messenger of this good news, an apostle, and a teacher. It is for this reason that I suffer these things. But I am still full of confidence, because I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to keep safe until that day what he has entrusted to me. Hold firmly to the true words that I taught you, as the example for you to follow. Remain in the faith and love that are ours in union with Christ Jesus.

I solemnly charge you in the sight (presence) of God, and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine. Having their ears tickled, they will accumulate teachers who follow after their own lusts. read more.
They will turn their ears away from the truth, and turn aside to myths (fiction). Be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist (preacher of the good news), and fulfill your ministry. I am already being offered (poured out as an offering), and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight! I have finished the course! I have kept the faith! The crown of righteousness is laid up for me. The Lord, the righteous judge, will give it to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing (manifestation).

When the tent is to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When we camp, they will set it up. Anyone else who comes near the tent will be put to death. Verse ConceptsAccess To God, In Old TestamentStrangersExclusionMaking The TabernacleDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is NearDeath ApproachingMoving To A New Place


Moses, Aaron, and his sons put up their tents on the east side in front of the tent of meeting. They were in charge of the holy place on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who tried to do the Levites' duties had to be put to death. Verse ConceptsHigh Priest, In OtExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceCamping During The ExodusDanger When God Is Near

However the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die. Verse ConceptsExclusion

He followed Jehovah's command given through Moses. The copper-covered altar will remind Israel that no one but a descendant of Aaron may come near to burn incense to Jehovah. Everyone else will die like Korah and his followers. Verse ConceptsPriests, Institution In Ot TimesStrangersExclusion

They are to fulfill their duties to you and their responsibilities for the tent. However they must not have any contact with sacred objects in the Holy Place or with the altar. If they do, both they and you will be put to death. Verse ConceptsExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesAccess To God, In Old TestamentMediatorPriesthood, In OtServanthood, And Worship Of GodExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

The other Israelites must never again come near the tent of meeting. Otherwise, they will suffer the consequences of their sin and die. Verse ConceptsExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near


The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants from generation to generation, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before Jehovah, to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name as long as they live. Verse ConceptsHoliness, As Set Apart For God


Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesAccess To God, In Old TestamentMediatorPriesthood, In OtServanthood, And Worship Of GodExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to me. Verse ConceptsAtonement, in OTPriests, Institution In Ot TimesServanthood, And Worship Of GodSetting Up The Bronze AltarSanctification

Jehovah continued: Bring your brother Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar to you from all the Israelites. They will serve me as priests. Make sacred clothes for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. Tell all the skilled men whom I have given this ability to make Aaron's clothes. These clothes will set him apart as holy when he serves me as priest. read more.
The clothes they will make are as follows: a breastplate, an ephod and the robe that is worn with it, another specially woven linen robe, the chief priest's turban, and a cloth belt. They will make these holy clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons so that they will be able to serve me as priests.

They opposed King Uzziah. They said to him: Uzziah, you have no right to burn incense as an offering to Jehovah. That right belongs to the priests, Aaron's descendants, who have been given the holy task of burning incense. Get out of the holy place because you have been unfaithful. Jehovah God will not honor you for this. Verse ConceptsConfrontationevil, believers' responses toChallengesSanctuaryConsecration


Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesAccess To God, In Old TestamentMediatorPriesthood, In OtServanthood, And Worship Of GodExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

Jehovah said to Aaron: You, your sons, and your family will be responsible for any sins against the holy place. You and your sons will also be responsible for any sins you commit when you work as priests. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesOffencePriesthood, In OtFathers Responsibilitiesconnection

Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesAccess To God, In Old TestamentMediatorPriesthood, In OtServanthood, And Worship Of GodExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons will go in and take down the canopy that hangs over the Ark containing the words of God's Covenant. First they will cover the Ark with the canopy. Over this they will put a covering of fine leather. On top of that they will spread a cloth made entirely of violet material. Then they will put the poles in place. They will spread a violet cloth over the table of the presence and put on it the plates, dishes, bowls, and pitchers for the wine offerings. The bread that is always in Jehovah's presence will also be on it. read more.
They will spread a bright red cloth over everything on the table. They will then cover all this with fine leather. Then they will put the poles in place. They will use a violet cloth to cover the lamp stand, as well as the lamps, snuffers, trays, and all the containers for the olive oil used in the lamps. Then they will put the lamp stand and all its utensils under a covering of fine leather and put them on a frame to carry them. They will spread a violet cloth over the gold altar and cover the cloth with fine leather. Then they will put the poles in place. They will take all the articles that are used in the holy place and put them in a violet cloth. Then they will cover that with fine leather, and put them on a frame to carry them. After they take the ashes away, they will spread a purple cloth over the altar. They will put all the accessories used at the altar on it. These are the trays, forks, shovels, and bowls-all the altar's accessories. They will spread a covering of fine leather (sealskin) over all this. Then they will put the poles in place. When Aaron and his sons finished covering the holy things and the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites will come to carry all the holy articles. They must never touch the holy things, or they will die. The Kohathites will carry all the things from the tent of meeting.

You and your sons alone must fulfill the responsibilities for the Holy Place and the altar. That way my anger will not again break out against the people of Israel. Verse ConceptsSanctuaryAction Lest God Be AngryResponsibility

Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesAccess To God, In Old TestamentMediatorPriesthood, In OtServanthood, And Worship Of GodExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

Bring the other Levites from your ancestor's tribe to join you and help you and your sons serve in front of the tent of the words of my promise. Verse ConceptsAaron, As High PriestMinistry, Nature OfParticipation, In Christ

You and your sons alone must fulfill the responsibilities for the Holy Place and the altar. That way my anger will not again break out against the people of Israel. Verse ConceptsSanctuaryAction Lest God Be AngryResponsibility

Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesAccess To God, In Old TestamentMediatorPriesthood, In OtServanthood, And Worship Of GodExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

However when he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He was unfaithful to Jehovah his God. He went into Jehovah's Temple to burn incense on the incense altar. Azariah the priest went in after him with eighty of Jehovah's courageous priests. They opposed King Uzziah. They said to him: Uzziah, you have no right to burn incense as an offering to Jehovah. That right belongs to the priests, Aaron's descendants, who have been given the holy task of burning incense. Get out of the holy place because you have been unfaithful. Jehovah God will not honor you for this. read more.
Uzziah held an incense burner in his hand. He became angry. As his anger with the priests grew, a skin disease broke out on his forehead. This happened in front of the priests in Jehovah's Temple as Uzziah was at the incense altar. When the chief priest Azariah and all the priests turned toward him, a skin disease was on his forehead. They rushed him away. Uzziah was in a hurry to get out because Jehovah had inflicted him with the disease. King Uzziah had a skin disease until the day he died. Since he had a skin disease, he lived in a separate house and was barred from Jehovah's Temple. His son Jotham was in charge of the royal palace and governed the country.

Korah son of Izhar, Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth dared to challenge Moses. Korah was a descendant of Kohath and Levi. Dathan, Abiram, and On were descendants of Reuben. These four men were joined by two hundred and fifty Israelite men, well known leaders of the congregation. The assembly chose them. They came together to confront Moses and Aaron. They said: You have gone far enough! Everyone in the whole congregation is holy. Jehovah is among them. Why do you set yourselves above Jehovah's assembly? read more.
When Moses heard this, he bowed with his face touching the ground. Then he said to Korah and all his followers: In the morning Jehovah will show who belongs to him, who is holy. He will have that person come near him. Only the person Jehovah chooses will be allowed to come near him. Korah, you and all your followers must do this tomorrow: Take incense burners, Put burning coals and incense in them in Jehovah's presence. Jehovah will choose the man who is holy. You have gone far enough! Moses also said to Korah: Listen, you sons of Levi! Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel? Jehovah has brought you near to do the work for his tent and stand in front of the community to serve them. He brought you and all the other Levites near. But now you demand to be priests. You and all your followers have joined forces against Jehovah! Who is Aaron that you should complain about him? Then Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab. But they said: We will not come! Is it not enough that you brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey only to kill us in the desert? Do you also have to order us around? You have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us any fields and vineyards to own. Do you think you can still pull the wool over our eyes? We will not come. Moses became angry and said to Jehovah: Do not accept their offering. I have not taken anything from them, not even a donkey. And I have not mistreated any of them. Moses said to Korah: Tomorrow you and all your followers must come into Jehovah's presence. Aaron will also be there with you. Each man will take his incense burner and put incense in it. They will offer all two hundred and fifty incense burners to Jehovah. Then you and Aaron offer your incense burners. So each man took his incense burner. He put burning coals and incense in it and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Korah assembled all his followers who opposed Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The glory of Jehovah appeared to the entire group. Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron: Move away from these men. I will destroy them instantly. Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground and said: O God, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone! If one man sins, will you be angry with the entire congregation? Then Jehovah said to Moses: Tell the congregation: 'Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.' Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. He said to the congregation: Move away from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you'll be swept away because of all their sins. So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out and were standing at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children. Moses said: This is how you will know that Jehovah sent me to do all these things and that it wasn't my idea: If these men die a natural death like all other people Jehovah has not sent me. But if Jehovah does something totally new, if the ground opens up, swallows them and everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive to their graves; then you will know that these men have treated Jehovah with contempt. When he finished speaking, the ground under them split, and the earth opened up to swallow them, their families, the followers of Korah, and all their property. They went down alive to their graves with everything that belonged to them. The ground covered them. They disappeared from the assembly. All the Israelites around them ran away when they heard their screams. They thought the ground would swallow them, also. Fire came from Jehovah and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.


He followed Jehovah's command given through Moses. The copper-covered altar will remind Israel that no one but a descendant of Aaron may come near to burn incense to Jehovah. Everyone else will die like Korah and his followers. Verse ConceptsPriests, Institution In Ot TimesStrangersExclusion

Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesAccess To God, In Old TestamentMediatorPriesthood, In OtServanthood, And Worship Of GodExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

Jehovah said to Aaron: You, your sons, and your family will be responsible for any sins against the holy place. You and your sons will also be responsible for any sins you commit when you work as priests. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesOffencePriesthood, In OtFathers Responsibilitiesconnection

Only you and your sons may do the work of priests, everything done at the altar and under the canopy. This is my gift to you: You may serve me as priests. Anyone else who comes near the holy place to do this work must die. Verse ConceptsAaron, Priestly ResponsibilitiesAccess To God, In Old TestamentMediatorPriesthood, In OtServanthood, And Worship Of GodExclusionDeath Due To God's PresenceDanger When God Is Near

You and your sons alone must fulfill the responsibilities for the Holy Place and the altar. That way my anger will not again break out against the people of Israel. Verse ConceptsSanctuaryAction Lest God Be AngryResponsibility