What is the situation?

1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion,

A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. 1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, On the sides of the north, the city of the great King. 3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge. 4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. 5 They saw it, and so they marvelled; They were troubled, and hasted away. 6 Fear took hold upon them there, And pain, as of a woman in travail. 7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. 8 As we have heard, so have we seen In the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. 9 We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of thy temple. 10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: Thy right hand is full of righteousness. 11 Let mount Zion rejoice, Let the daughters of Judah be glad, Because of thy judgments. 12 Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. 13 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; That ye may tell it to the generation following. 14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death.

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: 3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? 4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: 5 And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the Lord will shew 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. 6 This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company; 7 And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi. 8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: 9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated 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? 10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also? 11

27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. 28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. 29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me. 30 But if the Lord make a 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 ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord. 31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: 32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. 34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. 35 And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

16 So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. 4 And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; 6 Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God. 7 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. 8 Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, Make known his deeds among the people. 9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, Talk ye of all his wondrous works. 10 Glory ye in his holy name: Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. 11 Seek the Lord and his strength, Seek his face continually. 12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; 13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. 14 He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. 15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; The word which he commanded to a thousand generations; 16 Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, And of his oath unto Isaac; 17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, And to Israel for an everlasting covenant, 18 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance; 19 When ye were but few, Even a few, and strangers in it. 20 And when they went from nation to nation, And from one kingdom to another people; 21 He suffered no man to do them wrong: Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, 22 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, And do my prophets no harm. 23 Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; Shew forth from day to day his salvation. 24 Declare his glory among the heathen; His marvellous works among all nations. 25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the people are idols: But the Lord made the heavens. 27 Glory and honour are in his presence; Strength and gladness are in his place. 28 Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. 29 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come before him: Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 30 Fear before him, all the earth: The world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. 31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: And let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth. 32 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: Let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein. 33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, Because he cometh to judge the earth. 34 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; For his mercy endureth for ever. 35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, That we may give thanks to thy holy name, And glory in thy praise. 36 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord. The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), 1 Ch 16.