Numbers 17

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

And the Lord said to Moses,

2 “Speak to the people of Israel and get staffs from them, one for each ancestral tribe, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff.

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 You must write Aaron's name on Levi's staff. There must be one staff for each leader from his ancestors' tribe.

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 You must place the staffs in the tent of meeting in front of the covenant decrees, where I meet with you.

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

5 It will happen that the staff of the man whom I choose will bud. I will cause the complaints from the people of Israel to stop, which they are speaking against you.”

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 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel. All the tribal leaders gave him staffs, one staff from each leader, selected from each of the ancestral tribes, twelve staffs in all. Aaron's staff was among them.

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 Then Moses deposited the staffs before Yahweh in the tent of the covenant decrees.

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

8 The next day Moses went into the tent of the covenant decrees and, behold, Aaron's staff for the tribe of Levi had budded. It grew buds and produced blossoms and ripe almonds!

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 Moses brought out all the staffs from before Yahweh to all the people of Israel, and each man took his staff.

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 Yahweh said to Moses, “Put Aaron's staff in front of the covenant decrees. Keep it as a sign of guilt against the people who rebelled so that you may end complaints against me, or they will die.”

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 Moses did just as Yahweh had commanded him.

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

12 The people of Israel spoke to Moses and said, “We will die here. We will all perish!

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

13 Everyone who comes up, who approaches Yahweh's tabernacle, will die. Must we all perish?”

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