Numbers 17
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
上主訓示梅瑟說：
2 Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods of them, according to the houses of their families, a rod from all their princes, according to the houses of their families, twelve rods, and write the name of each on his rod.
「你吩咐以色列子民，叫他們每一家族拿一根棍杖，就是每一個領袖為自己家族拿一根，共十二根棍杖，把各人的名字寫在自己的棍杖上；
3 And write the name of Aaron on the rod of Levi; for it is one rod [for each]: they shall give [them] according to the tribe of the house of their families.
但在肋未的棍杖上，要寫亞郎的名字，因為為肋未的族長亦應有一根棍杖。
4 And you shall put them in the tabernacle of witness, before the testimony, where I will be made known to you.
你將這些棍放在會幕內，放在約證前，即在我與你常相會的地方。
5 And it shall be, the man whom I shall choose, his rod shall blossom; and I will remove from me the murmuring of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.
誰約證開花，誰就是我所選擇的人；這樣，我就平息了以色列子民在我面前抱怨你們的怨言」。
6 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their chiefs gave him a rod [each], for one chief a rod, according to the house of their families, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron [was] in the midst of the rods.
梅瑟於是告訴了以色列子民；他們所有的領袖都交給了他一根棍杖，每一家族中，每個領袖一根，共十二根棍杖；在他們的棍杖中，也有亞郎的棍杖。
7 And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.
梅瑟就將棍杖放在約幕內，放在上主面前。
8 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi blossomed, and put forth a bud, and bloomed blossoms and produced almonds.
次日，梅瑟進入約幕內，看，肋未家族的亞郎的棍杖發了芽；不但發了芽，並且也開了花，結了成熟的杏。
9 And Moses brought forth all the rods from before the Lord to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each one took his rod.
梅瑟就由上主面前取出所有的棍杖，給以色列子民觀看；以後各人取回了自己的棍杖。
10 And the Lord said to Moses, Lay up the rod of Aaron before the testimonies to be kept as a sign for the children of the disobedient; and let their murmuring cease from me, and they shall not die.
上主對梅瑟說：「收回亞郎的棍杖來，放在約證前；給叛逆之徒當作鑑戒，為平息他們對我發的怨言，免得他們死亡」。
11 And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.
梅瑟就這樣做了。
12 And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we are cut off, we are destroyed, we are consumed.
以色列子民對梅瑟申訴說：「看，我們要死了，我們完了! 我們全完了!
13 Every one that touches the tabernacle of the Lord, dies: shall we die utterly?
凡接近上主會幕的都該死；我們豈不都該死﹖」
