Numbers 17

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Speak to 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 every man's name on his rod.

Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them a staff, a staff for each father's house, of all their princes according to the houses of their fathers, twelve staves: thou shalt write each one's name upon his staff.

3 You shall write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers' houses.

And Aaron's name shalt thou write upon the staff of Levi; for one staff shall be for [each] head of their fathers' houses.

4 You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.

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

5 It shall happen, 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."

And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his staff shall bud forth; and I will make to cease from before me the murmurings of the children of Israel, that they murmur against you.

6 Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their leaders gave him rods, one for each leader, according to their ancestral houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him a staff, one staff for each prince according to their fathers' houses, twelve staves, and the staff of Aaron was among their staves.

7 Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.

And Moses laid the staves before Jehovah in the tent of the testimony.

8 It happened on the next day, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and look, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

And it came to pass, when on the morrow Moses went into the tent of the testimony, behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and ripened almonds.

9 Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

And Moses brought out all the staves from before Jehovah to all the children of Israel, and they looked and took each one his staff.

10 The LORD said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die."

And Jehovah said to Moses, Bring Aaron's staff again before the testimony, to be kept as a token for the sons of rebellion, that thou mayest put an end to their murmurings before me, that they may not die.

11 Moses did so. As the LORD commanded him, so he did.

And Moses did so: as Jehovah had commanded him, so did he.

12 The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Look, we perish. We are undone. We are all undone.

And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Lo, we expire, we perish, we all perish.

13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, dies. Will we all perish?"

Every one that comes at all near to the tabernacle of Jehovah shall die: shall we then expire altogether?