Numbers 17

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

And the LORD said to Moses,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod.

“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 You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.

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

4 You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you.

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

5 It shall happen that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me.”

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 Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was among their rods.

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 Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the Tent of the Testimony.

Then Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.

8 On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

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 Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.

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 Yahweh said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their complaining against me, that they not die.”

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 Moses did so. As Yahweh commanded him, so he did.

So Moses did as the LORD had commanded him.

12 The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!

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

13 Everyone who keeps approaching Yahweh’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”

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