4 Mose 17
1 Afei, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se,
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,
2 “Ka kyerɛ Israelfo no na wɔnyɛ pema dumien, abusua biara panyin ntwa baako. Kyerɛw obiara din wɔ ne de ho.
“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 Aaron din na wɔbɛkyerɛw agu Lewi abusuakuw pema no ho, efisɛ ɛsɛ sɛ abusuapanyin biara nya pema baako.
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 Momfa pema yi ngu Ahyiae Ntamadan no mu ahyiae mu wɔ baabi a mihyia mo wɔ adaka no anim hɔ no.
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 Menam pema yi so bɛkyerɛ onipa a meyi no no na ne pema no ho bɛfefɛw, na meyi Israelfo anwiinwii a wɔtaa nwiinwii tia wo no nyinaa afi hɔ.”
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 Enti Mose maa Israelfo no maa no pema dumien a wɔn abusua no biara panyin de wɔ mu a na Aaron ka de ka ho bi.
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 Mose de guu Awurade anim wɔ Adanse Ntamadan no mu hɔ.
Moses/I placed the sticks inside the Sacred Tent in front of the sacred chest.
8 Ade kyee a ɔkɔɔ mu no, ohuu sɛ Aaron pema a ɛwɔ hɔ ma Lewi abusuakuw no afefɛw ayɛ frɔmm, asow aba a ɛsensɛn so.
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 Na Mose de pema no fii Awurade anim ba bɛkyerɛɛ Israelfo no. Wɔhwɛe, na ɔpanyin biara faa ne pema.
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 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se, “Fa Aaron pema no san kɔto adaka no anim na fa yɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne ma atuatewfo no. Eyi de anwiinwii a wonwiinwii tia me no bɛba awiei na wɔanwuwu.” Na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔde ba bɛkyerɛ nnipa no bio na sɛ anwiinwii bi wɔ hɔ a etia Aaron tumi a, ebesiw amanehunu foforo a anka ɛbɛba nnipa no so no ano.
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 Mose yɛɛ nea Awurade hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ.
So Moses/I did what Yahweh had commanded.
12 Israelfo no ka kyerɛɛ Mose se, “Yebewuwu! Yɛayera, yɛayera!
Then the Israeli people said to Moses/me, “We are going to die! All of us are surely going to die!
13 Mpo, obiara a ɔbɛbɛn Awurade Ahyiae Ntamadan no bewu. Yɛn nyinaa rebewuwu ana?”
Everyone who comes close to Yahweh’s Sacred Tent dies. Are the rest of us going to die, also?” [RHQ]
