Numbers 17

1 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

And the Lord said to Moses,

2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and take a rod from each of them, for a father’s house, from all their princes, for the house of their fathers—twelve rods; you write the name of each on his rod,

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.

3 and you write Aaron’s name on the tribe of Levi; for one rod [is] for the head of their fathers’ house.

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.

4 And you have placed them in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you.

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

5 And it has come to pass, the man’s rod on whom I fix flourishes, and I have caused the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they are murmuring against you, to cease from off Me.”

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.

6 And Moses speaks to the sons of Israel, and all their princes give to him one rod for a prince, one rod for a prince, for their fathers’ house—twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron [is] in the midst of their rods;

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.

7 and Moses places the rods before YHWH in the Tent of the Testimony.

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

8 And it comes to pass, on the next day, that Moses goes into the Tent of the Testimony, and behold, the rod of Aaron has flourished for the house of Levi, and brings out a bud, and blossoms [with] a blossom, and produces almonds;

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.

9 and Moses brings out all the rods from before YHWH to all the sons of Israel, and they look, and each takes his rod.

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.

10 And YHWH says to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the Testimony, for a charge, for a sign to the sons of rebellion, and you remove their murmurings from off Me, and they do not die”;

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.

11 and Moses does as YHWH has commanded him; so he has done.

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

12 And the sons of Israel speak to Moses, saying, “Behold, we have expired, we have perished, all of us have perished!

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

13 Any who is at all drawing near to the Dwelling Place of YHWH dies; have we not been consumed—to expire?”

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