Liber Numeri 17

1 Et locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD said to Moses,

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 Israelites and take from them twelve staffs, one from the leader of each tribe. Write each man’s name on his staff,

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

and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi, because there must be one staff for the head of each tribe.

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

Place the staffs in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I meet with you.

5 Quem ex his elegero, germinabit virga ejus: et cohibebo a me querimonias filiorum Israël, quibus contra vos murmurant.

The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid Myself of the constant grumbling of the Israelites against you.”

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

So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff—one for each of the leaders of their tribes, twelve staffs in all. And Aaron’s staff was among them.

7 Quas cum posuisset Moyses coram Domino in tabernaculo testimonii,

Then Moses placed the staffs before the LORD 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.

The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron’s staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted, put forth buds, blossomed, and produced almonds.

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

Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD’s presence to all the Israelites. They saw them, and each man took his own staff.

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.

The LORD said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebellious, so that you may put an end to their grumbling against Me, lest they die.”

11 Fecitque Moyses sicut præceperat Dominus.

So Moses did as the LORD had commanded him.

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

Then the Israelites declared to Moses, “Look, we are perishing! We are lost; we are all lost!

13 Quicumque accedit ad tabernaculum Domini, moritur. Num usque ad internecionem cuncti delendi sumus?

Anyone who comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to perish?”