1 O Senhor disse a Moisés:2 "Peça aos israelitas que tragam doze varas, uma de cada líder das tribos. Escreva o nome de cada líder em sua vara.3 Na vara de Levi escreva o nome de Arão, pois é preciso que haja uma vara para cada chefe das tribos.4 Deposite-as na Tenda do Encontro, em frente da arca das tábuas da aliança, onde eu me encontro com vocês.5 A vara daquele que eu escolher florescerá, e eu me livrarei dessa constante queixa dos israelitas contra vocês".6 Assim Moisés falou aos israelitas, e seus líderes deram-lhe doze varas, uma de cada líder das tribos, e a vara de Arão estava entre elas.7 Moisés depositou as varas perante o Senhor na tenda que guarda as tábuas da aliança.8 No dia seguinte Moisés entrou na tenda e viu que a vara de Arão, que representava a tribo de Levi, tinha brotado, produzindo botões e flores, além de amêndoas maduras.9 Então Moisés retirou todas as varas da presença do Senhor e as levou a todos os israelitas. Eles viram as varas, e cada líder pegou a sua.10 O Senhor disse a Moisés: "Ponha de volta a vara de Arão em frente da arca das tábuas da aliança, para ser guardada como uma advertência para os rebeldes. Isso porá fim à queixa deles contra mim, para que não morram".11 Moisés fez conforme o Senhor lhe havia ordenado.12 Os israelitas disseram a Moisés: "Nós morreremos! Estamos perdidos, estamos todos perdidos!13 Todo aquele que se aproximar do santuário do Senhor morrerá. Será que todos nós vamos morrer? "

1 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,2 Speak to the sons of Israel, and take from them rods, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods: you will write every man's name on his rod.3 And you will write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi; for there will be one rod for each head of their fathers' houses.4 And you will lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you{+}.5 And it will come to pass, that the rod of the man whom I will choose will bud: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against you{+}.6 And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.7 And Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the tent of the testimony.8 And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and saw that the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the sons of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.10 And Yahweh said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the sons of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they will not die.11 Thus did Moses: as Yahweh commanded him, so he did.12 And the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Look, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of Yahweh, dies: shall we perish all of us?