Numbers 17
1 And the Lord said to Moses,
耶和華對摩西說：
2 Say to the children of Israel that they are to give you rods, one for every family, for every chief, the head of his father's house, making twelve rods; let every man's name be placed on his rod.
「你曉諭以色列人，從他們手下取杖，每支派一根；從他們所有的首領，按着支派，共取十二根。你要將各人的名字寫在各人的杖上，
3 And let Aaron's name be placed on the rod of Levi: for there is to be one rod for the head of every family.
並要將亞倫的名字寫在利未的杖上，因為各族長必有一根杖。
4 And let them be stored up in the Tent of meeting, in front of the ark of witness where I come to you.
你要把這些杖存在會幕內法櫃前，就是我與你們相會之處。
5 And the rod of that man who is marked out by me for myself will have buds on it; so I will put a stop to the outcries which the children of Israel make to me against you.
後來我所揀選的那人，他的杖必發芽。這樣，我必使以色列人向你們所發的怨言止息，不再達到我耳中。」
6 So Moses gave these orders to the children of Israel, and all their chiefs gave him rods, one for the head of every family, making twelve rods: and Aaron's rod was among them.
於是摩西曉諭以色列人，他們的首領就把杖交給他，按着支派，每首領一根，共有十二根；亞倫的杖也在其中。
7 And Moses put the rods before the Lord in the Tent of witness.
摩西就把杖存在法櫃的帳幕內，在耶和華面前。
8 Now on the day after, Moses went into the Tent of witness; and he saw that Aaron's rod, the rod of the house of Levi, had put out buds, and was covered with buds and flowers and fruit.
第二天，摩西進法櫃的帳幕去。誰知利未族亞倫的杖已經發了芽，生了花苞，開了花，結了熟杏。
9 Then Moses took out all the rods from before the Lord, and gave them back to the children of Israel: and they saw them, and every man took his rod.
摩西就把所有的杖從耶和華面前拿出來，給以色列眾人看；他們看見了，各首領就把自己的杖拿去。
10 And the Lord said to Moses, Put Aaron's rod back in front of the ark of witness, to be kept for a sign against this false-hearted people, so that you may put a stop to their outcries against me, and death may not overtake them.
耶和華吩咐摩西說：「把亞倫的杖還放在法櫃前，給這些背叛之子留作記號。這樣，你就使他們向我發的怨言止息，免得他們死亡。」
11 This Moses did: as the Lord gave orders, so he did.
摩西就這樣行。耶和華怎樣吩咐他，他就怎樣行了。
12 And the children of Israel said to Moses, Truly, destruction has come on us; an evil fate has overtaken us all.
以色列人對摩西說：「我們死啦！我們滅亡啦！都滅亡啦！
13 Death will overtake everyone who comes near, who comes near the House of the Lord: are we all to come to destruction?
凡挨近耶和華帳幕的是必死的。我們都要死亡嗎？」
