Liber Numeri 17
1 Et locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Loquere ad filios Israël, et accipe ab eis virgas singulas per cognationes suas, a cunctis principibus tribuum, virgas duodecim, et uniuscujusque nomen superscribes virgæ suæ.
“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 Nomen autem Aaron erit in tribu Levi, et una virga cunctas seorsum familias continebit:
You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.
4 ponesque eas in tabernaculo fœderis coram testimonio, ubi loquar ad te.
You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you.
5 Quem ex his elegero, germinabit virga ejus: et cohibebo a me querimonias filiorum Israël, quibus contra vos murmurant.
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 Locutusque est Moyses ad filios Israël: et dederunt ei omnes principes virgas per singulas tribus: fueruntque virgæ duodecim absque virga 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 Quas cum posuisset Moyses coram Domino in tabernaculo testimonii,
Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the Tent of the Testimony.
8 sequenti die regressus invenit germinasse virgam Aaron in domo Levi: et turgentibus gemmis eruperant flores, qui, foliis dilatatis, in amygdalas deformati sunt.
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 Protulit ergo Moyses omnes virgas de conspectu Domini ad cunctos filios Israël: videruntque, et receperunt singuli virgas suas.
Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.
10 Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen: Refer virgam Aaron in tabernaculum testimonii, ut servetur ibi in signum rebellium filiorum Israël, et quiescant querelæ eorum a me, ne moriantur.
Yahweh 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 Fecitque Moyses sicut præceperat Dominus.
Moses did so. As Yahweh commanded him, so he did.
12 Dixerunt autem filii Israël ad Moysen: Ecce consumpti sumus, omnes perivimus.
The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!
13 Quicumque accedit ad tabernaculum Domini, moritur. Num usque ad internecionem cuncti delendi sumus?
Everyone who keeps approaching Yahweh’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”
