Numbers 17

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “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.

Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods of them, according to the houses of their families, a rod from all their princes, according to the houses of their families, twelve rods, and write the name of each on his rod.

3 You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.

And write the name of Aaron on the rod of Levi; for it is one rod [for each]: they shall give [them] according to the tribe of the house of their families.

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

And you shall put them in the tabernacle of witness, before the testimony, where I will be made known to you.

5 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.”

And it shall be, the man whom I shall choose, his rod shall blossom; and I will remove from me the murmuring of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.

6 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.

And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their chiefs gave him a rod [each], for one chief a rod, according to the house of their families, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron [was] in the midst of the rods.

7 Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.

And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.

8 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.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi blossomed, and put forth a bud, and bloomed blossoms and produced almonds.

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

And Moses brought forth all the rods from before the Lord to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each one took his rod.

10 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.”

And the Lord said to Moses, Lay up the rod of Aaron before the testimonies to be kept as a sign for the children of the disobedient; and let their murmuring cease from me, and they shall not die.

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

And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.

12 The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!

And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we are cut off, we are destroyed, we are consumed.

13 Everyone who keeps approaching the LORD’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”

Every one that touches the tabernacle of the Lord, dies: shall we die utterly?