« | Numbers 16 | » |
1 Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, (and Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, son of Pallu, son of Reuben) took
2 two hundred and fifty Israelites who were leaders in the community, members of the council and men of note. They stood before Moses,
3 and held an assembly against Moses and Aaron, to whom they said, "Enough from you! The whole community, all of them, are holy; the LORD is in their midst. Why then should you set yourselves over the LORD'S congregation?"
4 When Moses heard this, he fell prostrate.
5 Then he said to Korah and to all his band, "May the LORD make known tomorrow morning who belongs to him and who is the holy one and whom he will have draw near to him! Whom he chooses, he will have draw near him.
6 Do this: take your censers (Korah and all his band)
7 and put fire in them and place incense in them before the LORD tomorrow. He whom the LORD then chooses is the holy one. Enough from you Levites!"
8 Moses also said to Korah, "Listen to me, you Levites!
9 Is it too little for you that the God of Israel has singled you out from the community of Israel, to have you draw near him for the service of the LORD'S Dwelling and to stand before the community to minister for them?
10 He has allowed you and your kinsmen, the descendants of Levi, to approach him, and yet you now seek the priesthood too.
11 It is therefore against the LORD that you and all your band are conspiring. For what has Aaron done that you should grumble against him?"
12 Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, but they answered, "We will not go.
13 Are you not satisfied with having led us here away from a land flowing with milk and honey, to make us perish in the desert, that you must now lord it over us?
14 Far from bringing us to a land flowing with milk and honey, or giving us fields and vineyards for our inheritance, will you also gouge out our eyes? No, we will not go."
15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, "Pay no heed to their offering. I have never taken a single ass from them, nor have I wronged any one of them."
16 Moses said to Korah, "You and all your band shall appear before the LORD tomorrow-- you and they and Aaron too.
17 Then each of your two hundred and fifty followers shall take his own censer, put incense in it, and offer it to the LORD; and you and Aaron, each with his own censer, shall do the same."
18 So they all took their censers, and laying incense on the fire they had put in them, they took their stand by the entrance of the meeting tent along with Moses and Aaron.
19 Then, when Korah had assembled all his band against them at the entrance of the meeting tent, the glory of the LORD appeared to the entire community,
20 and the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
21 "Stand apart from this band, that I may consume them at once."
22 But they fell prostrate and cried out, "O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will one man's sin make you angry with the whole community?"
23 The LORD answered Moses,
24 "Speak to the community and tell them: Withdraw from the space around the Dwelling" (of Korah, Dathan and Abiram).
25 Moses, followed by the elders of Israel, arose and went to Dathan and Abiram.
26 Then he warned the community, "Keep away from the tents of these wicked men and do not touch anything that is theirs: otherwise you too will be swept away because of all their sins."
27 When Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing at the entrances of their tents with their wives and sons and little ones,
28 Moses said, "This is how you shall know that it was the LORD who sent me to do all I have done, and that it was not I who planned it:
29 if these men die an ordinary death, merely suffering the fate common to all mankind, then it was not the LORD who sent me.
30 But if the LORD does something entirely new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them alive down into the nether world, with all belonging to them, then you will know that these men have defied the LORD."
31 No sooner had he finished saying all this than the ground beneath them split open,
32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their families (and all of Korah's men) and all their possessions.
33 They went down alive to the nether world with all belonging to them; the earth closed over them, and they perished from the community.
34 But all the Israelites near them fled at their shrieks, saying, "The earth might swallow us too!"
35 So they withdrew from the space around the Dwelling (of Korah, Dathan and Abiram). And fire from the LORD came forth which consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.