Liber Numeri 17

1 Et locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2 Loquere ad filios Israel, et accipe ab eis virgas singulas per cognationes suas, a cunctis principibus tribuum, virgas duodecim, et uniuscuiusque nomen superscribes virgæ suæ.

Speak to the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod by their kindreds, of all the princes of the tribes, twelve rods, and write the name of every man upon his rod.

3 nomen autem Aaron erit in tribu Levi, et una virga cunctas seorsum familias continebit:

And the name of Aaron shall be for the tribe of Levi, and one rod shall contain all their families:

4 ponesque eas in tabernaculo fœderis coram testimonio, ubi loquar ad te.

And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the covenant before the testimony, where I will speak to thee.

5 quem ex his elegero, germinabit virga eius: et cohibebo a me querimonias filiorum Israel, quibus contra vos murmurant.

Whomsoever of these I shall choose, his rod shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, wherewith they murmur against you.

6 Locutusque est Moyses ad filios Israel: et dederunt ei omnes principes virgas per singulas tribus: fueruntque virgæ duodecim absque virga Aaron.

And Moses spoke to the children of Israel: and all the princes gave him rods one for every tribe: and there were twelve rods besides the rod of Aaron.

7 Quas cum posuisset Moyses coram Domino in tabernaculo testimonii:

And when Moses had laid them up before the Lord in the tabernacle 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.

He returned on the following day, and found that the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi, was budded: and that the buds swelling it had bloomed blossoms, which spreading the leaves, were formed into almonds.

9 Protulit ergo Moyses omnes virgas de conspectu Domini ad cunctos filios Israel: videruntque et receperunt singuli virgas suas.

Moses therefore brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the children of Israel: and they saw, and every one received their rods.

10 Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen: Refer virgam Aaron in tabernaculum testimonii, ut servetur ibi in signum rebellium filiorum Israel, et quiescant querelæ eorum a me, ne moriantur.

And the Lord said to Moses: Carry back the rod of Aaron into the tabernacle of the testimony, that it may be kept there for a token of the rebellious children of Israel, and that their complaints may cease from me lest they die.

11 Fecitque Moyses sicut præceperat Dominus.

And Moses did as the Lord had commanded.

12 Dixerunt autem filii Israel ad Moysen: Ecce consumpti sumus, omnes perivimus.

And the children of Israel said to Moses: Behold we are consumed, we all perish.

13 quicumque accedit ad tabernaculum Domini, moritur. num usque ad internecionem cuncti delendi sumus?

Whosoever approacheth to the tabernacle of the Lord, he dieth. Are we all to a man to be utterly destroyed?