1 And the Lord said to Moses,
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.
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.
4 And let them be stored up in the Tent of meeting, in front of the ark of witness where I come to you.
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.
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.
7 And Moses put the rods before the Lord in the Tent of witness.
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.
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.
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.
11 This Moses did: as the Lord gave orders, so he did.
12 And the children of Israel said to Moses, Truly, destruction has come on us; an evil fate has overtaken us all.
13 Death will overtake everyone who comes near, who comes near the House of the Lord: are we all to come to destruction?
1 耶和华对摩西说： （本节在《马索拉抄本》为17:16）
2 "你要吩咐以色列人， 要从他们手中取杖， 按着父家每支派一根， 从他们所有的领袖， 按着他们的父家， 共取十二根杖， 你要把各人的名字写在各人的杖上；
3 又要把亚伦的名字写在利未的杖上， 因为照着他们父家各族长必有一根杖。
4 你要把这些杖放在会幕里约柜前， 就是我和你们相会的地方。
5 我拣选的那人， 他的杖必发芽； 这样， 我就必使以色列人向你们所发的怨言止息， 不再达到我耳中。"
6 于是摩西吩咐以色列人， 他们所有的领袖都把杖交给他， 按着他们的父家， 每个领袖一根杖， 共有十二根杖； 亚伦的杖也在其中。
7 摩西就把杖放在约柜的会幕里， 在耶和华面前。
8 第二天， 摩西进约柜的会幕去， 不料， 利未家亚伦的杖已经发了芽， 生了花苞， 开了花， 结了熟杏。
9 摩西就把所有的杖， 从耶和华面前带出来， 给以色列众人看； 他们看见了， 各人就把自己的杖拿了去。
10 耶和华对摩西说： "把亚伦的杖放回约柜前， 给那些背叛的人留作证据， 这样你就使他们向我发的怨言止息， 免得他们死亡。"
11 摩西就这样行了， 耶和华怎样吩咐他， 他就怎样行了。
12 以色列人对摩西说： "我们要死了， 我们灭亡了， 我们都灭亡了。
13 走近耶和华帐幕的， 都必定死； 难道我们都要死吗？"