Numbers 17
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,
The LORD spoke 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 children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name 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.
You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.
4 You must place the staffs in the tent of meeting in front of the covenant decrees, where I meet with you.
You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, 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.”
It shall happen that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from 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.
Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was amongst their rods.
7 Then Moses deposited the staffs before Yahweh in the tent of the covenant decrees.
Moses laid up the rods before the LORD 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!
On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.
9 Moses brought out all the staffs from before Yahweh to all the people of Israel, and each man took his staff.
Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took 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.”
The LORD said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their complaining against me, that they not die.”
11 Moses did just as Yahweh had commanded him.
Moses did so. As the LORD commanded him, so he did.
12 The people of Israel spoke to Moses and said, “We will die here. We will all perish!
The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!
13 Everyone who comes up, who approaches Yahweh's tabernacle, will die. Must we all perish?”
Everyone who keeps approaching the LORD’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”
