Numbers 17
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,
耶和華對摩西說：
2 “Speak to the people of Israel and get staffs from them, one for each ancestral tribe, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff.
「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 You must write Aaron's name on Levi's staff. There must be one staff for each leader from his ancestors' tribe.
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 You must place the staffs in the tent of meeting in front of the covenant decrees, where I meet with you.
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 It will happen that the staff of the man whom I choose will bud. I will cause the complaints from the people of Israel to stop, which they are speaking 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 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel. All the tribal leaders gave him staffs, one staff from each leader, selected from each of the ancestral tribes, twelve staffs in all. Aaron's staff was among them.
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 Then Moses deposited the staffs before Yahweh in the tent of the covenant decrees.
摩西就把杖存在法櫃的帳幕內，在耶和華面前。
8 The next day Moses went into the tent of the covenant decrees and, behold, Aaron's staff for the tribe of Levi had budded. It grew buds and produced blossoms and ripe 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 brought out all the staffs from before Yahweh to all the people of Israel, and each man took his staff.
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 Yahweh said to Moses, “Put Aaron's staff in front of the covenant decrees. Keep it as a sign of guilt against the people who rebelled so that you may end complaints against me, or they will 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 Moses did just as Yahweh had commanded him.
摩西就這樣行。耶和華怎樣吩咐他，他就怎樣行了。
12 The people of Israel spoke to Moses and said, “We will die here. We will all perish!
以色列人對摩西說：「我們死啦！我們滅亡啦！都滅亡啦！
13 Everyone who comes up, who approaches Yahweh's tabernacle, will die. Must we all perish?”
凡挨近耶和華帳幕的是必死的。我們都要死亡嗎？」
