1 O Senhor disse a Moisés:2 "Fala aos israelitas. Que eles te dêem uma vara por tribo, ou seja, doze varas de todos os príncipes das doze casas patriarcais. Escreverás o nome de cada um na sua vara;3 na vara de Levi escreverás o nome de Aarão, porque haverá uma vara por tribo.4 Depô-las-ás na tenda de reunião, diante do testemunho, no lugar onde me encontro convosco.5 E eis que a vara de meu eleito florescerá, e desse modo farei cessar diante de mim as murmurações dos filhos de Israel contra vós."6 Moisés falou aos israelitas, e todos os príncipes lhe deram a vara, um de cada tribo, ou seja, doze varas pelas doze tribos, entre as quais também a de Aarão.7 Moisés as pôs diante do Senhor na tenda do testemunho.8 Voltando no dia seguinte, entrou no pavilhão, e eis que tinha florescido a vara de Aarão, pela tribo de Levi: tinham aparecido botões, saído flores e amadurecido amêndoas.9 Moisés levou todas as varas de diante do Senhor aos israelitas. Eles viram o {prodígio} e receberam cada um a sua vara.10 O Senhor disse então a Moisés: "Torna a levar a vara de Aarão para diante da tenda do testemunho, e seja ali conservada como um sinal para todos aqueles que quiserem revoltar-se, e assim possas pôr um termo às murmurações diante de mim, para que não morram."11 Moisés executou a ordem que o Senhor lhe tinha dado.12 Os israelitas disseram a Moisés: "Nós pereceremos, estamos perdidos, sim, estamos todos perdidos!13 Qualquer que se aproxime do tabernáculo do Senhor, morre. Acaso seremos todos exterminados?"

1 (17:16) And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,2 (17:17) Speak unto the children of Israel, and take from them one staff each for a family division, from all their princes, according to their family divisions, twelve staves: the name of each man shalt thou write upon his staff.3 (17:18) And the name of Aaron shalt thou write upon the staff of Levi; for there shall be but one staff for the head of their family division.4 (17:19) And thou shalt lay them down in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I usually meet with you.5 (17:20) And it shall come to pass, that the staff of the man whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will allay from around me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.6 (17:21) And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him each a staff, one for every prince, according to their family divisions, twelve staves: and the staff of Aaron was among their staves.7 (17:22) And Moses laid down the staves before the Lord in the tabernacle of the testimony.8 (17:23) And it came to pass on the morrow, that as Moses went into the tabernacle of the testimony, behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded; and it brought forth buds, and produced blossoms, and yielded ripe almonds.9 (17:24) And Moses brought out all the staves from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel; and they looked at them, and took away every one his staff.10 (17:25) And the Lord said unto Moses, Carry back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a token against the children of rebellion, that there may be an end of their murmurings from around me, and they die not.11 (17:26) And Moses did so; as the Lord had commanded him, so did he.12 (17:27) And the children of Israel said unto Moses, thus, Behold, we perish, we are lost, we are all lost.13 (17:28) Every one that cometh near at all unto the tabernacle of the Lord must die: shall we totally perish?