Numbers 17

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

And the Lord said to Moses,

2 “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.

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.

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

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.

4 You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you.

And let them be stored up in the Tent of meeting, in front of the ark of witness where I come to you.

5 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.”

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.

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

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.

7 Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the Tent of the Testimony.

And Moses put the rods before the Lord in the Tent of witness.

8 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.

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.

9 Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.

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.

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

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.

11 Moses did so. As Yahweh commanded him, so he did.

This Moses did: as the Lord gave orders, so he did.

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

And the children of Israel said to Moses, Truly, destruction has come on us; an evil fate has overtaken us all.

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

Death will overtake everyone who comes near, who comes near the House of the Lord: are we all to come to destruction?