Numbers 17
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
耶和華對摩西說：
2 Speak to the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod by their kindreds, of all the princes of the tribes, twelve rods, and write the name of every man 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 the name of Aaron shall be for the tribe of Levi, and one rod shall contain all their families:
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 shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the covenant before the testimony, where I will speak to thee.
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 Whomsoever of these I shall choose, his rod shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, wherewith 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 children of Israel: and all the princes gave him rods one for every tribe: and there were twelve rods besides the rod of Aaron.
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 when Moses had laid them up before the Lord in the tabernacle of the testimony:
摩西就把杖存在法櫃的帳幕內，在耶和華面前。
8 He returned on the following day, and found that the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi, was budded: and that the buds swelling it had bloomed blossoms, which spreading the leaves, were formed into 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 Moses therefore brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the children of Israel: and they saw, and every one received their rods.
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 the Lord said to Moses: Carry back the rod of Aaron into the tabernacle of the testimony, that it may be kept there for a token of the rebellious children of Israel, and that their complaints may cease from me lest they 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 And Moses did as the Lord had commanded.
摩西就這樣行。耶和華怎樣吩咐他，他就怎樣行了。
12 And the children of Israel said to Moses: Behold we are consumed, we all perish.
以色列人對摩西說：「我們死啦！我們滅亡啦！都滅亡啦！
13 Whosoever approacheth to the tabernacle of the Lord, he dieth. Are we all to a man to be utterly destroyed?
凡挨近耶和華帳幕的是必死的。我們都要死亡嗎？」
