Liber Numeri 17

1 Et locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the Lord said to Moses,

2 Loquere ad filios Israel, et accipe ab eis virgas singulas per cognationes suas, a cunctis principibus tribuum, virgas duodecim, et uniuscuiusque nomen superscribes virgæ suæ.

Say to the children of Israel that they are to give you rods, one for every family, for every chief, the head of his father's house, making twelve rods; let every man's name be placed on his rod.

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

And let Aaron's name be placed on the rod of Levi: for there is to be one rod for the head of every family.

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

And let them be stored up in the Tent of meeting, in front of the ark of witness where I come to you.

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

And the rod of that man who is marked out by me for myself will have buds on it; so I will put a stop to the outcries which the children of Israel make to me against you.

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

So Moses gave these orders to the children of Israel, and all their chiefs gave him rods, one for the head of every family, making twelve rods: and Aaron's rod was among them.

7 Quas cum posuisset Moyses coram Domino in tabernaculo testimonii:

And Moses put the rods before the Lord in the Tent of witness.

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

Now on the day after, Moses went into the Tent of witness; and he saw that Aaron's rod, the rod of the house of Levi, had put out buds, and was covered with buds and flowers and fruit.

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

Then Moses took out all the rods from before the Lord, and gave them back to the children of Israel: and they saw them, and every man took his rod.

10 Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen: Refer virgam Aaron in tabernaculum testimonii, ut servetur ibi in signum rebellium filiorum Israel, et quiescant querelæ eorum a me, ne moriantur.

And the Lord said to Moses, Put Aaron's rod back in front of the ark of witness, to be kept for a sign against this false-hearted people, so that you may put a stop to their outcries against me, and death may not overtake them.

11 Fecitque Moyses sicut præceperat Dominus.

This Moses did: as the Lord gave orders, so he did.

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

And the children of Israel said to Moses, Truly, destruction has come on us; an evil fate has overtaken us all.

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

Death will overtake everyone who comes near, who comes near the House of the Lord: are we all to come to destruction?