23. The Lord said to Moses,
24. "Speak to the community and say, ‘Withdraw from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’"
25. Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram. Israel’s elders followed him.
26. He spoke to the community: "Move away from the tents of these wicked men and don’t touch anything of theirs, lest you too be wiped out for all their sins."
27. They withdrew from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their tents with their wives, children, and little ones.
28. Moses said, "By this you will know that the Lord sent me to do these deeds and that it wasn’t my own desire.
29. If all these people die a natural death, or if their fate be that of all humans, then the Lord hasn’t sent me.
30. But if the Lord performs an act of creation, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and everything that belongs to them, so that they descend alive to their graves, then you’ll know that these men disrespected the Lord."
31. As soon as he finished speaking these words, the ground under them split open.
32. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, including every human that belonged to Korah and all their possessions.
33. They along with all their possessions descended alive to their graves, and the earth closed over them. They perished in the middle of the assembly.
34. All the Israelites who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "The earth may swallow us."
35. Then fire went out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred fifty men offering incense.
36. The Lord spoke to Moses: