Numbers 17

1 And the LORD said to Moses,

And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to the Israelites and take from them twelve staffs, one from the leader of each tribe. Write each man’s name on his staff,

“Speak to the sons of Israel, and take a rod from each of them, for a father’s house, from all their princes, for the house of their fathers—twelve rods; you write the name of each on his rod,

3 and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi, because there must be one staff for the head of each tribe.

and you write Aaron’s name on the tribe of Levi; for one rod [is] for the head of their fathers’ house.

4 Place the staffs in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I meet with you.

And you have placed them in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you.

5 The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid Myself of the constant grumbling of the Israelites against you.”

And it has come to pass, the man’s rod on whom I fix flourishes, and I have caused the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they are murmuring against you, to cease from off Me.”

6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff—one for each of the leaders of their tribes, twelve staffs in all. And Aaron’s staff was among them.

And Moses speaks to the sons of Israel, and all their princes give to him one rod for a prince, one rod for a prince, for their fathers’ house—twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron [is] in the midst of their rods;

7 Then Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.

and Moses places the rods before YHWH in the Tent of the Testimony.

8 The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron’s staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted, put forth buds, blossomed, and produced almonds.

And it comes to pass, on the next day, that Moses goes into the Tent of the Testimony, and behold, the rod of Aaron has flourished for the house of Levi, and brings out a bud, and blossoms [with] a blossom, and produces almonds;

9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD’s presence to all the Israelites. They saw them, and each man took his own staff.

and Moses brings out all the rods from before YHWH to all the sons of Israel, and they look, and each takes his rod.

10 The LORD said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebellious, so that you may put an end to their grumbling against Me, lest they die.”

And YHWH says to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the Testimony, for a charge, for a sign to the sons of rebellion, and you remove their murmurings from off Me, and they do not die”;

11 So Moses did as the LORD had commanded him.

and Moses does as YHWH has commanded him; so he has done.

12 Then the Israelites declared to Moses, “Look, we are perishing! We are lost; we are all lost!

And the sons of Israel speak to Moses, saying, “Behold, we have expired, we have perished, all of us have perished!

13 Anyone who comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to perish?”

Any who is at all drawing near to the Dwelling Place of YHWH dies; have we not been consumed—to expire?”