< Ndari 17 >

1 Nake Jehova akĩĩra Musa atĩrĩ,
Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,
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.
“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.
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.
You must write Aaron's name on Levi's staff. There must be one staff for each leader from his ancestors' tribe.
4 Igaai thanju icio thĩinĩ wa Hema-ya-Gũtũnganwo hau mbere ya ithandũkũ rĩa Ũira, harĩa ndũnganaga nawe.
You must place the staffs in the tent of meeting in front of the covenant decrees, where I meet with you.
5 Rũthanju rwa mũndũ ũrĩa niĩ ngaathuura nĩrũgũthundũka, na niĩ ndĩyehererie kũnuguna gũkũ ũnugunagĩrwo hĩndĩ ciothe nĩ andũ a Isiraeli.”
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.”
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 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.
7 Nake Musa akĩiga thanju icio mbere ya Jehova kũu Hema-inĩ-ya-Ũira.
Then Moses deposited the staffs before Yahweh in the tent of the covenant decrees.
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 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!
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 brought out all the staffs from before Yahweh to all the people of Israel, and each man took his staff.
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.”
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.”
11 Nake Musa agĩĩka o ta ũrĩa Jehova aamwathĩte.
Moses did just as Yahweh had commanded him.
12 Andũ a Isiraeli makĩĩra Musa atĩrĩ, “Nĩtũgũkua! Ithuothe nĩtũũrĩte!
The people of Israel spoke to Moses and said, “We will die here. We will all perish!
13 Mũndũ o wothe o na ũngĩkuhĩrĩria Hema-ĩyo-Nyamũre ya Jehova nĩegũkua. Kaĩ tũgũgĩkua ithuothe?”
Everyone who comes up, who approaches Yahweh's tabernacle, will die. Must we all perish?”

< Ndari 17 >