1 T he Lord said to Moses,

Yahweh 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 take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes 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.

You shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.

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

You shall lay them up in the Tent 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.”

It shall happen, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me.”

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.

Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was among their rods.

7 M oses put the walking sticks before the Lord in the meeting tent of the Law.

Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the tent 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.

On the next day, Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore 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.

Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel. 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.”

Yahweh said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die.”

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

Moses did so. As Yahweh 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!

The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!

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

Everyone who keeps approaching Yahweh’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”