Numbers 17

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Bwana akamwambia Mose,

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.

“Sema na Waisraeli, na ujipatie fimbo kumi na mbili kutoka kwao, moja kutoka kwa kila mmoja wa viongozi wa kabila za baba zao. Andika jina la kila mtu kwenye fimbo yake.

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.

Kwenye fimbo ya Lawi andika jina la Aroni, kwa maana ni lazima iwepo fimbo moja kwa kila kiongozi kwa ajili ya kila kabila la baba zao.

4 And you shall put them in the tabernacle of witness, before the testimony, where I will be made known to you.

Ziweke hizo fimbo ndani ya Hema la Kukutania mbele ya Sanduku la Ushuhuda, mahali nikutanapo nawe.

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.

Fimbo ya mtu nitakayemchagua itachipuka, nami mwenyewe nitayakomesha haya manungʼuniko ya mara kwa mara ya Waisraeli dhidi yako.”

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.

Hivyo Mose akasema na Waisraeli, nao viongozi wao wakampa fimbo kumi na mbili, fimbo moja kwa ajili ya kila kabila la baba zao, nayo fimbo ya Aroni ikiwa miongoni mwa hizo.

7 And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.

Mose akaziweka hizo fimbo mbele za Bwana ndani ya Hema la Ushuhuda.

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.

Siku iliyofuata Mose aliingia kwenye Hema la Ushuhuda akaona ile fimbo ya Aroni ambayo iliwakilisha jamaa ya Lawi haikuwa tu imechipuka, bali pia ilikuwa imetoa machipukizi, kuchanua maua na kuzaa malozi.

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.

Ndipo Mose akaleta zile fimbo zote kwa Waisraeli wote kutoka mbele za Bwana. Wakaziangalia, na kila mtu akaichukua fimbo yake mwenyewe.

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.

Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Rudisha fimbo ya Aroni mbele ya Sanduku la Ushuhuda, ili ihifadhiwe kama alama kwa waasi. Hili litakomesha manungʼuniko yao dhidi yangu, ili kwamba wasife.”

11 And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.

Mose akafanya kama Bwana alivyomwamuru.

12 And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we are cut off, we are destroyed, we are consumed.

Waisraeli wakamwambia Mose, “Tutakufa! Tumepotea, sote tumepotea!

13 Every one that touches the tabernacle of the Lord, dies: shall we die utterly?

Yeyote akaribiaye Maskani ya Bwana atakufa. Je, sisi sote tutakufa?”