Numbers 17

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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 unto the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.

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

And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.

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

And thou shalt lay them up in the tent of meeting before 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.”

And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his rod shall bud: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur 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.

And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

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

And Moses laid up the rods 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.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and bare ripe 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.

And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

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.”

And the LORD said unto Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that thou mayest make an end of their murmurings against me, that they die not.

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

Thus did Moses: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

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

And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.

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

Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of the LORD, dieth: shall we perish all of us?