Numbers 17

Aaron’s Staff Is Chosen

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the Israelites,*Literally "sons/children of Israel" and take from among them twelve staffs, a staff from each family*Literally "a staff from a house of a father" from among all their leaders according to their families’ households. Write the name of each man on his staff, 3 and the name of Aaron on the staff of Levi, because one staff is for the head of each of their families.*Literally "the house of their fathers"4 You must then put them in the tent of assembly before*Literally "in the presence of" the testimony*Or "the statute" where I meet with you. 5 And it will happen, the man whom I will choose, his staff will blossom, and so I will rid from upon myself the grumblings of the Israelites,*Literally "sons/children of Israel" who are grumbling against you." 6 Moses spoke to the Israelites,*Literally "sons/children of Israel" and all their leaders gave him a staff for each leader, one from each of their families,*Literally "each from the house of their fathers" twelve staffs, and the staff of Aaron was in the midst of their tribes. 7 And Moses put the staffs before Yahweh in the tent of testimony.

8 Then the next day, Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi blossomed and put forth a flower and produced blossoms, and it produced almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out to all the Israelites*Literally "sons/children of Israel" all the staffs before the presence of Yahweh, and they saw, and each man took his staff. 10 And Yahweh said to Moses, "Bring back the staff of Aaron before the testimony*Or "the statute" as a guard and sign for the children of rebellion, and let them finish their grumblings before me and not die." 11 So Moses did; just as Yahweh commanded him, so he did.

12 And the Israelites*Literally "sons/children of Israel" said to Moses, saying, "Look! We will die! We will be destroyed! All of us will perish! 13 Anyone who approaches the tabernacle of Yahweh will die. Will we all die?"*Literally "Will we all die to perish?"