Numbers 17
1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
耶和華對摩西說：
2 Speak to the sons of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each father's house, from all their rulers according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods. Write thou every man's name upon his rod.
「你曉諭以色列人，從他們手下取杖，每支派一根；從他們所有的首領，按着支派，共取十二根。你要將各人的名字寫在各人的杖上，
3 And thou shall write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers' houses.
並要將亞倫的名字寫在利未的杖上，因為各族長必有一根杖。
4 And thou shall lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.
你要把這些杖存在會幕內法櫃前，就是我與你們相會之處。
5 And it shall come to pass, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. And I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against you.
後來我所揀選的那人，他的杖必發芽。這樣，我必使以色列人向你們所發的怨言止息，不再達到我耳中。」
6 And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel. And all their rulers gave him rods, for each ruler one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods, and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
於是摩西曉諭以色列人，他們的首領就把杖交給他，按着支派，每首領一根，共有十二根；亞倫的杖也在其中。
7 And Moses laid up the rods before Jehovah in the tent of the testimony.
摩西就把杖存在法櫃的帳幕內，在耶和華面前。
8 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.
第二天，摩西進法櫃的帳幕去。誰知利未族亞倫的杖已經發了芽，生了花苞，開了花，結了熟杏。
9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before Jehovah to all the sons of Israel. And they looked, and took every man his rod.
摩西就把所有的杖從耶和華面前拿出來，給以色列眾人看；他們看見了，各首領就把自己的杖拿去。
10 And Jehovah said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a sign against the sons of rebellion, that thou may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die.
耶和華吩咐摩西說：「把亞倫的杖還放在法櫃前，給這些背叛之子留作記號。這樣，你就使他們向我發的怨言止息，免得他們死亡。」
11 Thus Moses did. As Jehovah commanded him, so he did.
摩西就這樣行。耶和華怎樣吩咐他，他就怎樣行了。
12 And the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.
以色列人對摩西說：「我們死啦！我們滅亡啦！都滅亡啦！
13 Every man who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of Jehovah, dies. Shall we all of us perish?
凡挨近耶和華帳幕的是必死的。我們都要死亡嗎？」
