اَلْعَدَد 17

١ 1 وَكَلَّمَ ٱلرَّبُّ مُوسَى قَائِلًا:

Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,

٢ 2 «كَلِّمْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَخُذْ مِنْهُمْ عَصًا عَصًا لِكُلِّ بَيْتِ أَبٍ مِنْ جَمِيعِ رُؤَسَائِهِمْ حَسَبَ بُيُوتِ آبَائِهِمِ. ٱثْنَتَيْ عَشَرَةَ عَصًا. وَٱسْمُ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ تَكْتُبُهُ عَلَى عَصَاهُ.

“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.

٣ 3 وَٱسْمُ هَارُونَ تَكْتُبُهُ عَلَى عَصَا لَاوِي، لِأَنَّ لِرَأْسِ بَيْتِ آبَائِهِمْ عَصًا وَاحِدَةً.

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.

٤ 4 وَضَعْهَا فِي خَيْمَةِ ٱلِٱجْتِمَاعِ أَمَامَ ٱلشَّهَادَةِ حَيْثُ أَجْتَمِعُ بِكُمْ.

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.

٥ 5 فَٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلَّذِي أَخْتَارُهُ تُفْرِخُ عَصَاهُ، فَأُسَكِّنُ عَنِّي تَذَمُّرَاتِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلَّتِي يَتَذَمَّرُونَهَا عَلَيْكُمَا».

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].”

٦ 6 فَكَلَّمَ مُوسَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَأَعْطَاهُ جَمِيعُ رُؤَسَائِهِمْ عَصًا عَصًا لِكُلِّ رَئِيسٍ حَسَبَ بُيُوتِ آبَائِهِمِ. ٱثْنَتَيْ عَشَرَةَ عَصًا. وَعَصَا هَارُونَ بَيْنَ عِصِيِّهِمْ.

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.

٧ 7 فَوَضَعَ مُوسَى ٱلْعِصِيَّ أَمَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ فِي خَيْمَةِ ٱلشَّهَادَةِ.

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

٨ 8 وَفِي ٱلْغَدِ دَخَلَ مُوسَى إِلَى خَيْمَةِ ٱلشَّهَادَةِ، وَإِذَا عَصَا هَارُونَ لِبَيْتِ لَاوِي قَدْ أَفْرَخَتْ. أَخْرَجَتْ فُرُوخًا وَأَزْهَرَتْ زَهْرًا وَأَنْضَجَتْ لَوْزًا.

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!

٩ 9 فَأَخْرَجَ مُوسَى جَمِيعَ ٱلْعِصِيِّ مِنْ أَمَامِ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَى جَمِيعِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَنَظَرُوا وَأَخَذَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ عَصَاهُ.

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.

١٠ 10 وَقَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ لِمُوسَى: «رُدَّ عَصَا هَارُونَ إِلَى أَمَامِ ٱلشَّهَادَةِ لِأَجْلِ ٱلْحِفْظِ، عَلَامَةً لِبَنِي ٱلتَّمَرُّدِ، فَتَكُفَّ تَذَمُّرَاتُهُمْ عَنِّي لِكَيْ لَا يَمُوتُوا».

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].”

١١ 11 فَفَعَلَ مُوسَى كَمَا أَمَرَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ. كَذَلِكَ فَعَلَ.

So Moses/I did what Yahweh had commanded.

١٢ 12 فَكَلَّمَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ مُوسَى قَائِلِينَ: «إِنَّنَا فَنِينَا وَهَلَكْنَا. قَدْ هَلَكْنَا جَمِيعًا.

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

١٣ 13 كُلُّ مَنِ ٱقْتَرَبَ إِلَى مَسْكَنِ ٱلرَّبِّ يَمُوتُ. أَمَا فَنِيْنَا تَمَامًا؟».

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