1The LORD said to Moses,2‘Speak to the Israelites. Get 12 walking sticks from them. Get one from the leader of each of Israel’s tribes. Write the name of each man on his walking stick.3Write Aaron’s name on Levi’s walking stick. There must be one stick for the head of each of Israel’s tribes.4Put the walking sticks in the tent of meeting. Place them in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. That is where I meet with you.5The walking stick that belongs to the man I choose will begin to grow new shoots. The Israelites are never happy with what you do. I will put an end to what they are saying.’6So Moses spoke to the Israelites. Their leaders gave him 12 walking sticks. They gave one for the leader of each of Israel’s tribes. Aaron’s walking stick was among them.7Moses put the sticks in front of the LORD in the tent where the tablets of the covenant law were kept.8The next day Moses entered the tent. He looked at Aaron’s walking stick. It stood for the tribe of Levi. Moses saw that it had begun to grow new shoots. It had also produced buds and flowers and almonds.9Then Moses brought out all the walking sticks from in front of the LORD. He brought them to all the Israelites. They looked at them. And each man took his own walking stick.10The LORD said to Moses, ‘Put Aaron’s walking stick back in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. The stick will be kept there as a warning to those who refuse to obey. They are never happy with what I do. Aaron’s walking stick will put an end to what they are saying. Then they will not die.’11Moses did just as the LORD commanded him.12The Israelites said to Moses, ‘We’ll die! We are lost! All of us are lost!13Anyone who even comes near the LORD’s holy tent will die. Are all of us going to die?’
Numbers 17
English Standard Version
Aaron’s Staff Buds
1[1] The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,2“Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers’ house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff, (Eze 37:16)3and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers’ house.4Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. (Ex 25:22)5And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” (Nu 16:5; Nu 16:11)6Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs.7And Moses deposited the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony. (Ex 38:21; Nu 18:2; 2Ch 24:6; Ac 7:44)8On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.9Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff.10And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” (Nu 16:38; Nu 17:5; Heb 9:4)11Thus did Moses; as the Lord commanded him, so he did.12And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.13Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, shall die. Are we all to perish?” (Nu 1:51)