Numbers 17
1 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying:
上主訓示梅瑟說：
2 Speak unto the sons of Israel and take of them one staff each for an ancestral house of all their princes, by their ancestral houses, twelve staves, —each man’s name, shalt thou write upon his staff;
「你吩咐以色列子民，叫他們每一家族拿一根棍杖，就是每一個領袖為自己家族拿一根，共十二根棍杖，把各人的名字寫在自己的棍杖上；
3 and, Aaron’s name, shalt thou write upon the staff of Levi, —for, one staff, shall there be for the head of their ancestral house.
但在肋未的棍杖上，要寫亞郎的名字，因為為肋未的族長亦應有一根棍杖。
4 Then shalt thou lay them up in the tent of meeting, —before the testimony, where I meet with you.
你將這些棍放在會幕內，放在約證前，即在我與你常相會的地方。
5 So shall it come to pass, that, the man whom I shall choose, his staff, shall bud, —so will I cause to cease from against me the murmurings of the sons of Israel, wherewith they, are murmuring against you.
誰約證開花，誰就是我所選擇的人；這樣，我就平息了以色列子民在我面前抱怨你們的怨言」。
6 And Moses spake unto the sons of Israel and every one of their princes gave unto him, a staff apiece, for each prince, by their ancestral houses, twelve staves, —and the staff of Aaron, was in the midst of their staves.
梅瑟於是告訴了以色列子民；他們所有的領袖都交給了他一根棍杖，每一家族中，每個領袖一根，共十二根棍杖；在他們的棍杖中，也有亞郎的棍杖。
7 So Moses laid up the staves before Yahweh, —in the tent of the testimony.
梅瑟就將棍杖放在約幕內，放在上主面前。
8 And it came to pass, on the morrow, that Moses entered into the tent of the testimony; and lo! the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi, had budded, —yea it had brought forth buds and bloomed blossoms, and borne ripe almonds.
次日，梅瑟進入約幕內，看，肋未家族的亞郎的棍杖發了芽；不但發了芽，並且也開了花，結了成熟的杏。
9 So then Moses brought forth all the staves, from before Yahweh, unto all the sons of Israel, —and they saw and took, each man his own staff.
梅瑟就由上主面前取出所有的棍杖，給以色列子民觀看；以後各人取回了自己的棍杖。
10 And Yahweh said unto Moses—Put back the rod of Aaron, before the testimony, to be kept as a sign unto such as are perverse, —that thou mayest bring to an end their murmurings against me that they die not.
上主對梅瑟說：「收回亞郎的棍杖來，放在約證前；給叛逆之徒當作鑑戒，為平息他們對我發的怨言，免得他們死亡」。
11 Thus did Moses, —as Yahweh commanded him, so, did he.
梅瑟就這樣做了。
12 Then spake the sons of Israel unto Moses saying: Lo! we have breathed our last—we are lost, we are, all, lost:
以色列子民對梅瑟申訴說：「看，我們要死了，我們完了! 我們全完了!
13 whosoever draweth near—draweth near—unto the habitation of Yahweh, dieth, —are we ever to have made an end of breathing our last?
凡接近上主會幕的都該死；我們豈不都該死﹖」
