1 E ntão disse o Senhor a Moisés:

The Lord said to Moses,

2 F ala aos filhos de Israel, e toma deles uma vara para cada casa paterna de todos os seus príncipes, segundo as casas de seus pais, doze varas; e escreve o nome de cada um sobre a sua vara.

“Speak to the people of Israel. Get walking sticks from them, one for each father’s house. Get twelve walking sticks, from all their leaders by their fathers’ houses. Write each man’s name on his stick.

3 O nome de Arão escreverás sobre a vara de Levi; porque cada cabeça das casas de seus pais terá uma vara.

Write Aaron’s name on the walking stick of Levi. For there will be one walking stick for the head of each father’s house.

4 E as porás na tenda da revelação, perante o testemunho, onde venho a vós.

Then put them in the meeting tent before the Law, where I meet with you.

5 E ntão brotará a vara do homem que eu escolher; assim farei cessar as murmurações dos filhos de Israel contra mim, com que murmuram contra vós.

And the walking stick of the man I choose will begin to grow. In this way I will stop the complaining of the people of Israel, who are complaining against you.”

6 F alou, pois, Moisés aos filhos de Israel, e todos os seus príncipes deram-lhe varas, cada príncipe uma, segundo as casas de seus pais, doze varas; e entre elas estava a vara de Arão.

So Moses spoke to the people of Israel. All their leaders each gave him a walking stick, one for each leader by their fathers’ houses, twelve walking sticks. And the walking stick of Aaron was among their walking sticks.

7 E Moisés depositou as varas perante o Senhor na tenda do testemunho.

Moses put the walking sticks before the Lord in the meeting tent of the Law.

8 S ucedeu, pois, no dia seguinte, que Moisés entrou na tenda do testemunho, e eis que a vara de Arão, pela casa de Levi, brotara, produzira gomos, rebentara em flores e dera amêndoas maduras.

The next day Moses went into the meeting tent of the Law. And he saw that the walking stick of Aaron for the house of Levi had begun to grow buds and flowers and almonds.

9 E ntão Moisés trouxe todas as varas de diante do Senhor a todos os filhos de Israel; e eles olharam, e tomaram cada um a sua vara.

Moses brought out all the walking sticks from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. They looked, and each man took his stick.

10 E ntão o Senhor disse a Moisés: Torna a pôr a vara de Arão perante o testemunho, para se guardar por sinal contra os filhos rebeldes; para que possas fazer acabar as suas murmuraçoes contra mim, a fim de que não morram.

But the Lord said to Moses, “Put the walking stick of Aaron in front of the Law again. It will be something special to see against those who go against My Word. Then you may put an end to their complaining against Me, so they will not die.”

11 A ssim fez Moisés; como lhe ordenara o Senhor, assim fez.

So Moses did this. He did just as the Lord had told him.

12 E ntão disseram os filhos de Israel a Moisés: Eis aqui, nós expiramos, perecemos, todos nós perecemos.

Then the people of Israel said to Moses, “See, we are being destroyed! We are dying! We are all dying!

13 T odo aquele que se aproximar, sim, todo o que se aproximar do tabernáculo do Senhor, morrerá; porventura pereceremos todos?

Everyone who comes near, who comes near the meeting tent of the Lord, must die. Are we all to be destroyed?”