Numbers 17
1 And the Lord spak to Moises, `and seide, Speke thou to the sones of Israel,
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 and take thou yerdis, bi her kynredis, bi ech kynrede o yeerde, take thou of alle the princes of the lynagis twelue yerdis; and thou schalt write the name of each lynage aboue his yerde;
“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 forsothe the name of Aaron schal be in the lynage of Leuy, and o yerde schal conteyne alle the meynees of hem.
You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.
4 And thou schalt putte tho yerdis in the tabernacle of boond of pees, bifor the witnessyng, where Y schal speke to thee; the yerde of hym schal buriowne, whom Y schal chese of hem;
You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you.
5 and Y schal refreyne fro me the playnyngis of the sones of Israel, bi whiche thei grutchen ayens 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 And Moyses spak to the sones of Israel; and alle princes yauen to hym yerdis, bi alle lynagis; and the yerdis weren twelue, without the yerde of Aaron.
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 among their rods.
7 And whanne Moises hadde put tho yerdis bifor the Lord, in the tabernacle of witnessyng, he yede ayen in the day suynge,
Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.
8 and founde that the yerde of Aaron, `in the hows of Leuy, buriounnede; and whanne knoppis weren greet, the blossoms `hadden broke out, whiche weren alargid in leeuys, and weren fourmed in to alemaundis.
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 Therfor Moyses brouyte forth alle the yerdis fro the siyt of the Lord to al the sones of Israel; and thei sien, and resseyueden ech his yerde.
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 And the Lord seide to Moises, Bere ayen the yerde of Aaron in to the tabernacle of witnessyng, that it be kept there in to `the signe of the rebel sones of Israel, and that her `playntis reste fro me, lest thei dien.
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 And Moises dide, as the Lord comaundide.
Moses did so. As the LORD commanded him, so he did.
12 Forsothe the sones of Israel seiden to Moises, Lo! we ben wastid, alle we perischiden;
The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!
13 who euer neiyeth to the tabernacle of the Lord, he dieth; whethir we schulen be doon awei alle `til to deeth?
Everyone who keeps approaching the LORD’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”
