Numbers 17

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

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.

“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,

3 You must write Aaron's name on Levi's staff. There must be one staff for each leader from his ancestors' tribe.

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

4 You must place the staffs in the tent of meeting in front of the covenant decrees, where I meet with you.

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

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.”

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.”

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.

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;

7 Then Moses deposited the staffs before Yahweh in the tent of the covenant decrees.

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

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!

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;

9 Moses brought out all the staffs from before Yahweh to all the people of Israel, and each man took his staff.

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

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.”

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”;

11 Moses did just as Yahweh had commanded him.

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

12 The people of Israel spoke to Moses and said, “We will die here. We will all perish!

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

13 Everyone who comes up, who approaches Yahweh's tabernacle, will die. Must we all perish?”

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