1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying:

2 Speak to the children of Israel, and take from them a staff, a staff from each father’s house, all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses; twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff.

3 And you shall write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each father’s house.

4 And you shall place them in the tent of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you.

5 And it shall be that the staff of the man whom I choose shall blossom; thus I will put to rest the murmurings of the children of Israel, with which they grumble against you.

6 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a staff apiece, for each leader a staff according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs; and the staff of Aaron was among their staffs.

7 And Moses placed the staffs before Jehovah in the tent of witness.

8 And it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tent of witness, and behold, the staff of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.

9 And Moses brought out all the staffs from before Jehovah to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his staff.

10 And Jehovah said to Moses, Bring Aaron’s staff back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their murmurings away from Me, that they not die.

11 Thus Moses did; as Jehovah had commanded him, so he did.

12 And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold we have died, we have perished, we have all perished!

13 Whoever comes near the tabernacle of Jehovah dies. Are we all about to die? Have we been consumed?

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? "