1 T hen the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “ Speak to the sons of Israel, and get from them a rod for each father’s household: twelve rods, from all their leaders according to their fathers’ households. You shall write each name on his rod,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them a staff, a staff for each father's house, of all their princes according to the houses of their fathers, twelve staves: thou shalt write each one's name upon his staff.

3 a nd write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there is one rod for the head of each of their fathers’ households.

And Aaron's name shalt thou write upon the staff of Levi; for one staff shall be for head of their fathers' houses.

4 Y ou shall then deposit them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, 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 I t will come about that the rod of the man whom I choose will sprout. Thus I will lessen from upon Myself the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you.”

And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his staff shall bud forth; and I will make to cease from before me the murmurings of the children of Israel, that they murmur against you.

6 M oses therefore spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ households, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among their rods.

And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him a staff, one staff for each prince according to their fathers' houses, twelve staves, and the staff of Aaron was among their staves.

7 S o Moses deposited the rods before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.

And Moses laid the staves before Jehovah in the tent of the testimony.

8 N ow on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.

And it came to pass, when on the morrow Moses went into the tent of the testimony, behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and ripened almonds.

9 M oses then brought out all the rods from the presence of the Lord to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.

And Moses brought out all the staves from before Jehovah to all the children of Israel, and they looked and took each one his staff.

10 B ut the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me, so that they will not die.”

And Jehovah said to Moses, Bring Aaron's staff again before the testimony, to be kept as a token for the sons of rebellion, that thou mayest put an end to their murmurings before me, that they may not die.

11 T hus Moses did; just as the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

And Moses did so: as Jehovah had commanded him, so did he.

12 T hen the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “ Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying!

And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Lo, we expire, we perish, we all perish.

13 E veryone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, must die. Are we to perish completely?”

Every one that comes at all near to the tabernacle of Jehovah shall die: shall we then expire altogether?