Numbers 17

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

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.

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: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.

3 And the name of Aaron shall be for the tribe of Levi, and one rod shall contain all their families:

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

4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the covenant before the testimony, where I will speak to thee.

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

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.

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

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.

And Moses spake 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 when Moses had laid them up before the Lord in the tabernacle of the testimony:

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

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.

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 produced blossoms, and bare ripe almonds.

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.

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

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.

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that thou mayest make an end of their murmurings against me, that they die not.

11 And Moses did as the Lord had commanded.

Thus did Moses: as Jehovah commanded him, so did he.

12 And the children of Israel said to Moses: Behold we are consumed, we all perish.

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

13 Whosoever approacheth to the tabernacle of the Lord, he dieth. Are we all to a man to be utterly destroyed?

Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of Jehovah, dieth: shall we perish all of us?