1 T he Lord said to Moses,

And the Lord spoke to 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 to the children of Israel, and get from them a rod from each father’s house, all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses—twelve rods. Write each man’s name on 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 you shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi. For there shall be one rod for the head of each father’s house.

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

Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with 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 be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make 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.

So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, 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 placed the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.

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.

Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe 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 to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man 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 to Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.”

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

Thus did Moses; just as the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

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

So the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Surely we die, we perish, we all perish!

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

Whoever even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord must die. Shall we all utterly die?”