Numbers 17

1 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,

TUHAN berkata kepada Musa,

2 “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.

"Suruhlah orang Israel memberikan kepadamu dua belas tongkat, setiap suku satu tongkat, yang harus diserahkan oleh pemimpin suku. Tulislah nama setiap pemimpin itu pada tongkatnya,

3 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.

dan nama Harun pada tongkat suku Lewi. Untuk setiap pemimpin suku harus ada satu tongkat.

4 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.

Bawalah tongkat-tongkat itu ke Kemah-Ku, dan letakkan di depan Peti Perjanjian, tempat Aku biasa bertemu dengan kamu.

5 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].”

Tongkat orang yang Kupilih akan bertunas. Dengan cara itu Aku akan menghentikan keluhan orang-orang yang terus-menerus mengomel terhadap kamu."

6 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.

Hal itu disampaikan Musa kepada orang Israel. Lalu para pemimpin mereka menyerahkan kepadanya sebuah tongkat untuk setiap pemimpin suku. Semuanya ada dua belas buah, dan tongkat Harun ada di antaranya.

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

Lalu Musa menempatkan tongkat-tongkat itu di dalam Kemah TUHAN di depan Peti Perjanjian.

8 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!

Keesokan harinya, ketika Musa masuk ke dalam Kemah TUHAN, ia melihat bahwa tongkat Harun, yaitu tongkat suku Lewi, sudah bertunas. Tongkat itu berkuntum, berbunga dan menghasilkan buah ketapang yang sudah tua!

9 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.

Musa mengambil semua tongkat itu lalu menunjukkannya kepada orang Israel. Mereka melihat apa yang telah terjadi, lalu setiap pemimpin mengambil tongkatnya kembali.

10 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].”

Kemudian TUHAN berkata kepada Musa, "Letakkanlah tongkat Harun kembali di depan Peti Perjanjian. Tongkat itu harus disimpan sebagai peringatan bagi orang Israel yang suka memberontak itu bahwa mereka akan mati kalau mereka tidak berhenti mengomel."

11 So Moses/I did what Yahweh had commanded.

Musa melakukan apa yang diperintahkan TUHAN.

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

Lalu orang Israel berkata kepada Musa, "Kalau begitu, celakalah kami! Kami akan binasa!

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

Kalau orang yang mendekati Kemah TUHAN harus mati, maka tak ada harapan lagi bagi kami!"