Numbers 17

1 And the Lord said to Moses,

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

2 Say to the children of Israel that they are to give you rods, one for every family, for every chief, the head of his father's house, making twelve rods; let every man's name be placed on his rod.

'Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods; thou shalt write every man's name upon his rod.

3 And let Aaron's name be placed on the rod of Levi: for there is to be one rod for the head of every family.

And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for the head of their fathers' houses.

4 And let them be stored up in the Tent of meeting, in front of the ark of witness where I come to you.

And thou shalt lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.

5 And the rod of that man who is marked out by me for myself will have buds on it; so I will put a stop to the outcries which the children of Israel make to me against you.

And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his rod shall bud; and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.'

6 So Moses gave these orders to the children of Israel, and all their chiefs gave him rods, one for the head of every family, making twelve rods: and Aaron's rod was among them.

And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

7 And Moses put the rods before the Lord in the Tent of witness.

And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.

8 Now on the day after, Moses went into the Tent of witness; and he saw that Aaron's rod, the rod of the house of Levi, had put out buds, and was covered with buds and flowers and fruit.

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 bloomed blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

9 Then Moses took out all the rods from before the Lord, and gave them back to the children of Israel: and they saw them, and every man took his rod.

And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel; and they looked, and took every man his rod.

10 And the Lord said to Moses, Put Aaron's rod back in front of the ark of witness, to be kept for a sign against this false-hearted people, so that you may put a stop to their outcries against me, and death may not overtake them.

And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept there, for a token against the rebellious children; that there may be made an end of their murmurings against Me, that they die not.'

11 This Moses did: as the Lord gave orders, so he did.

Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

12 And the children of Israel said to Moses, Truly, destruction has come on us; an evil fate has overtaken us all.

And the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying: 'Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.

13 Death will overtake everyone who comes near, who comes near the House of the Lord: are we all to come to destruction?

Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of the LORD, is to die; shall we wholly perish?'