1 T he Lord said to Moses,

¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

2 “ 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.

Speak unto the sons of Israel and take of each of them a rod according to the houses of their fathers, of all their princes, twelve rods according to the houses of their fathers, and write thou each man’s name upon his rod.

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

And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi, for each head of family of their fathers shall have one rod.

4 T hen put them in the meeting tent before the Law, where I meet with you.

And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the testimony, before the testimony, where I will testify of myself unto you.

5 A nd 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.”

And it shall come to pass regarding the man whom I shall choose that his rod shall blossom; and I will resolve the complaints of the sons of Israel, with which they murmur against you.

6 S o 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.

And Moses spoke unto the sons of Israel, and all 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 M oses put the walking sticks before the Lord in the meeting tent of the Law.

And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of the testimony.

8 T he 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.

¶ And it came to pass that on the next day Moses went into the tabernacle of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron of the house of Levi had budded and blossomed and brought forth open flowers and yielded almonds.

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

Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each one took his rod.

10 B ut 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.”

And the LORD said unto Moses, Return Aaron’s rod before the testimony to be kept for a sign unto the rebellious sons; and thou shalt cause their complaints to cease from upon me, that they not die.

11 S o Moses did this. He did just as the Lord had told him.

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

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

Then the sons of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying, Behold, we are dead, we are lost, we are all lost.

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

Anyone who comes near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die; shall we all perish?