Liber Numeri 17

1 et locutus est Dominus ad Mosen dicens

Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,

2 loquere ad filios Israhel et accipe ab eis virgas singulas per cognationes suas a cunctis principibus tribuum virgas duodecim et uniuscuiusque nomen superscribes virgae suae

“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 nomen autem Aaron erit in tribu Levi et una virga cunctas eorum familias continebit

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 ponesque eas in tabernaculo foederis coram testimonio ubi loquar ad te

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 quem ex his elegero germinabit virga eius et cohibebo a me querimonias filiorum Israhel quibus contra vos murmurant

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 locutusque est Moses ad filios Israhel et dederunt ei omnes principes virgas per singulas tribus fueruntque virgae duodecim absque virga Aaron

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 quas cum posuisset Moses coram Domino in tabernaculo testimonii

Moses/I placed the sticks inside the Sacred Tent in front of the sacred chest.

8 sequenti die regressus invenit germinasse virgam Aaron in domo Levi et turgentibus gemmis eruperant flores qui foliis dilatatis in amigdalas deformati sunt

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 protulit ergo Moses omnes virgas de conspectu Domini ad cunctos filios Israhel videruntque et receperunt singuli virgas suas

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 dixitque Dominus ad Mosen refer virgam Aaron in tabernaculum testimonii ut servetur ibi in signum rebellium filiorum et quiescant querellae eorum a me ne moriantur

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 fecitque Moses sicut praeceperat Dominus

So Moses/I did what Yahweh had commanded.

12 dixerunt autem filii Israhel ad Mosen ecce consumpti sumus omnes perivimus

Then the Israeli people said to Moses/me, “We are going to die! All of us are surely going to die!

13 quicumque accedit ad tabernaculum Domini moritur num usque ad internicionem cuncti delendi sumus

Everyone who comes close to Yahweh’s Sacred Tent dies. Are the rest of us going to die, also?” [RHQ]