The Strange Story of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Numbers, Chapter XVI. Accounted For. Thomas Paine Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
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Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Cleary, Scott M., ed. Claeys, Gregory, gen. ed. Thomas Paine Collected Writings. Vol. II. Part 2: Poetry. Princeton Princeton UP 2026 pp. []-[]. 5 Volumes.

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The Strange Story of Korah , Dathan , and Abiram , Numbers , Chapter XVI . Accounted For . Old ballads sing of Chevy Chase , Beneath whose rueful shade , Full many a valiant man was slain , And many a window made . But I will tell of one much worse , That happ’d in days of yore , All in the barren wilderness , Beside the Jordan shore . Where Moses led the people forth , Call’d chosen tribes of God , And fed them forty years with quail , And rul’d them with a rod . A dreadful fray once rose among These self-named tribes of i am , Where Korah fell , and by his side , Fell Dathan and Abiram . An earthquake swallowed thousands up , And fire came down like stones , Which slew their sons and daughters all , Their wives and little ones . ’Twas all about old Aaron’s tithes , This murderous quarrel rose , For tithes are worldly things of old , That lead from worlds to blows . A Jew of Venice has explain’d In language of his nation , The manner how this fray began , Of which here is translation . There was a widow , old and poor , Who scarce herself could keep , Her stock of goods was very small , Her flock one single sheep . And when the time of shearing came , She counted much her gains , For now , said she , I shall be bless’d , With plenty for my pains . When Aaron heard the sheep was shear’d And gave a good increase , He straight-way sent his tithing man , And took away the fleece . And this the weeping widow went To Korah , to complain , And Korah he to Aaron went , In order to explain . But Aaron said , in such a case There can be no forbearing The law ordains that thou shalt give The first fleece of thy shearing . When lambing time was come about , This sheep became a dam , And bless’d the widow’s mournful heart , By bringing forth a lamb . When Aaron heard the sheep had young , He staid till it was grown , And then he sent his tithing man , And took it for his own . Again the weeping widow went To Korah , with her grief , But Aaron said , in such a case , There can be no relief . For in the holy law ’tis writ , That whilst thou keep’st the stock , Thou shalt present unto the Lord , The firstling of thy flock . The widow then , in deep distress , And having nought to eat , Against her will she kill’d the sheep , To feed upon the meat . When Aaron heard the sheep was kill’d , He sent and took a limb , Which , by the holy law , he said , Pertained unto him . For in the holy law ’tis writ , That when thou kilst a beast , Thou shalt a shoulder and a breast , Present unto the priest . The widow then , worn out with grief , Sat down to mourn and weep , And in a fit of passion said , The devil take the sheep . Then Aaron took the whole away , And said the laws record , That all and each devoted thing , Belongs unto the Lord . The widow went among her kin : The tribes of Israel rose , And all the widows , old and young , Pull’d Aaron by the nose . But Moses call’d an earthquake up , And fire from out the sky , And all the consolation is — The Bible tells a lie !