Ndari 17
1 Nake Jehova akĩĩra Musa atĩrĩ,
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,
2 “Arĩria andũ a Isiraeli, wĩtie thanju ikũmi na igĩrĩ, rũmwe kuuma kũrĩ o mũtongoria wa mĩhĩrĩga ya maithe mao. Andĩka rĩĩtwa rĩa o mũndũ rũthanju-inĩ rwake.
“Tell the Israeli people to bring to you twelve walking sticks. They should bring one from each of the leaders of the twelve tribes. You should carve each leader’s name on his stick.
3 Rũthanju rwa Lawi ũrwandĩke rĩĩtwa rĩa Harũni, nĩ ũndũ no nginya kũgĩe na rũthanju rũmwe rwa mũtongoria wa o mũhĩrĩga wa maithe mao ma tene.
There must be one stick for the leader of each tribe, so you must carve Aaron’s name on the stick for the tribe of Levi.
4 Igaai thanju icio thĩinĩ wa Hema-ya-Gũtũnganwo hau mbere ya ithandũkũ rĩa Ũira, harĩa ndũnganaga nawe.
Put those sticks inside the Sacred Tent, in front of the sacred chest that has in it the tablets on which the Ten Commandments are written. That is the place where I always talk with you.
5 Rũthanju rwa mũndũ ũrĩa niĩ ngaathuura nĩrũgũthundũka, na niĩ ndĩyehererie kũnuguna gũkũ ũnugunagĩrwo hĩndĩ ciothe nĩ andũ a Isiraeli.”
Buds will sprout on the stick of the man whom I have chosen [to be the priest]. [When the people see that], they will stop their constantly complaining about you [because they will realize that you are the one whom I have chosen].”
6 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Musa akĩarĩria andũ a Isiraeli, nao atongoria ao makĩmũnengera thanju ikũmi na igĩrĩ, o rũmwe kuuma mũtongoria wa o mũhĩrĩga wa maithe mao ma tene, naruo rũthanju rwa Harũni rwarĩ hamwe nacio.
So Moses/I told the people what Yahweh had said. Then each of the twelve Israeli leaders, including Aaron, brought his walking stick to Moses/me.
7 Nake Musa akĩiga thanju icio mbere ya Jehova kũu Hema-inĩ-ya-Ũira.
Moses/I placed the sticks inside the Sacred Tent in front of the sacred chest.
8 Mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ-rĩ, Musa agĩtoonya thĩinĩ wa Hema-ya-Ũira akĩona atĩ rũthanju rwa Harũni, rũrĩa rwarũgamĩrĩire nyũmba ya Lawi, to gũthundũra rwathundũrĩte, no nĩ rwathuunĩte rũkaruta kĩro, na rũgaciara ndothi.
The following morning, when he/I went into the tent, he/I saw that Aaron’s stick, which represented the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, it had produced leaves and blossoms, and it had also produced almonds that were ripe!
9 Nake Musa akĩruta thanju icio nja, kuuma hau mbere ya Jehova, agĩciiga mbere ya andũ a Isiraeli othe. Nao magĩcirora, o mũndũ akĩoya rũthanju rwake mwene.
Moses/I brought all the sticks out of the Sacred Tent and showed them to the people. Each of the twelve leaders took back his own stick.
10 Ningĩ Jehova akĩĩra Musa atĩrĩ, “Cookia rũthanju rwa Harũni hau mbere ya Ithandũkũ rĩa Ũira, rũigwo rũrĩ kĩmenyithia kũrĩ andũ acio aremi. Ũndũ ũyũ nĩguo ũkaaniina kũnuguna kwao kũrĩ niĩ, nĩgeetha matigakue.”
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Put Aaron’s stick in front of the sacred chest, and let it stay there permanently. That will be a warning to people who want to rebel [against me]. Then no more people will die [because of complaining against me].”
11 Nake Musa agĩĩka o ta ũrĩa Jehova aamwathĩte.
So Moses/I did what Yahweh had commanded.
12 Andũ a Isiraeli makĩĩra Musa atĩrĩ, “Nĩtũgũkua! Ithuothe nĩtũũrĩte!
Then the Israeli people said to Moses/me, “We are going to die! All of us are surely going to die!
13 Mũndũ o wothe o na ũngĩkuhĩrĩria Hema-ĩyo-Nyamũre ya Jehova nĩegũkua. Kaĩ tũgũgĩkua ithuothe?”
Everyone who comes close to Yahweh’s Sacred Tent dies. Are the rest of us going to die, also?” [RHQ]
