The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1906-10-19

| lCll UdCh III guilty lCdl, Il0hAAAto -
passageway for Moses, but as they
turned and saw the bold defiance of
their newly chosen leader, they took
new courage.
Moses said not word, but fixing
| his eyes on the man before him, he
looked him through and through, and
waited for him to speak. Apparently
unmoved by the searching gaze OF
Moses, Korah spoke up at once, bold
ly declaring so that all could hear:
"Ye take too much upon you, Moses,
seeing all the congregation are holy,
every one of them, and the Lord is
among them; wherefore then lift We
up yourself above the congregation
of the Lord?"
At these startling words, Moses fell
upon his face and cried in shame
and sorrow unto the Lord. Then he
arose and again fixing his stern gaze
upon Korah, said:
even tomorrow the Lord will show
| who are his, and who is holy; and
| will cause him to come near unto
him; even him whom he hath chosen
will he cause to come near unto him.
Do this: Take your censors, Korah,
and all your company, and put ire
! therein, and put incense in them be-
fore the Lord tomorrow; and it shall
| be that the man whom the Lord doth
| choose, he shall be holy. Ye take
| too much upon you, We son OF Levi.
! Seemeth it but a small thing unto
| you that the God of Israel hath sep
arated you from the congregation OF
Israel, to bring you near to himself
to do the service Of the tabernacle
| of the Lord and to stand before the
congregation to minister unto them?
| And he hath brought thee near to
him, and all thy brethren the sons of
Levi with thee; and seek We the
| priesthood, also? For which cause
both thou and all thy company here
are gathered together against the
Lord. And what is Aaron, that We
murmur against him?'
Having said which, Moses passed
| quickly out and returned to his own
| tent before the door of the tabernacle.
Nothing else was talked of in all
the camp of Israel that night save
the contest which was to take place
on the morrow, and at the appointed
time all the people came together.
| Korah and his following were al.
| ready there and with their censors
in their hands were preparing for the
test. Full of bold confidence he
l hn ond If
plain to see that nearly the entire
| congregation stood with him.
Then it was that the glory Of the
| Lord shone out with startling vivid
| mes to all the congregation of the peo-
pie from the pillar of cloud overhang.
ing the tabernacle, and the Lord
spake to Moses and Aaron, so, that
the people declared it Numbered, and
fear fell upon them. And the Lord
said:
Separate yourselves from among
this congregation, that may consume
| them in a moment"
Then Moses and Aaron rushed out
towards the people, and, falling upon
their faces, they cried unto the Lord,
saying:
90 God, the God of the spirits Of all
| flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt
| thou be wroth with all the congrega-
| tion?"
And the people, when they heard
the cry of Moses and saw the glory
of the Lord overshadowing them, trem.
bled, and in response to the command
of the Lord, Moses and Aaron arose
and came forward to the place where
Korah and his followers were stand
| ing, and said:
Depart, / pray you, from the tents
of these wicked men, and touch moth
ing of theirs, lest We be consumed
in all their SINS"
Thus warned, the people departed,
but as they moved away, Dathan and
Abiram, two of the leading spirits
with Korah, came forward and de-
rided the people for their fears, and
called to them to return. Then came
On, the son of Peleth, one who up to
this time had been active in the in
surrection, and made as though he
WOulu 1OllOW IAOoCS hhu 1AoAOA, VAO
had turned and were departing to
their place.
And Dathan and Abiram cried after
them in derision, and their wives and
their sons and their little children
standing with them joined in the rid
icule, charging them with being cow
ards and menials of this man Moses,
whom, from now on, they were going
to cease to serve.
And Moses lifted his voice and said:
Hereby ye shall know that the
Lord hath sent me to do all these
works. II these men die the common
death of all men, then the Lord hath
not sent me- But If they Lord make
new thing, and the earth open her
mouth and swallow them up, with
all that appertain unto them, and they
go down quick into the pit; then We
shall understand that these men have
provoked the Lord"
Scarcely had the words of Moses
died away on the air when with
fearful rumbling the earth broke asun-
der at the point where Korah and
Dathan and Abiram, together with
their wives and children, were gath
cred, and with one awful shrek Of
agony and terror, they all were swept
from sight into the yawning chasm.
And while the people beheld in
speeches horror, the earth closed
again. Then the people broke and
f7ad II, terror. saving. Lest the earth