Liber Numeri 17

1 Et locutus est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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.

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

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

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

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

And thou shalt lay them in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

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

And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, by which they murmur against you.

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

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

7 Quas cum posuisset Moyses coram Domino in tabernaculo testimonii:

And Moses laid the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle 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.

And it came to pass, that on the next day Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

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

And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man 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, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a sign against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

11 Fecitque Moyses sicut præceperat Dominus.

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

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

And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.

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

Whoever approacheth the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?