[1] Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, [2] “Speak to the sons of Israel, and obtain from them a staff for each father’s household: twelve staffs, from all their leaders for their fathers’ households. You shall write each man’s name on his staff, [3] and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi; for there is to be one staff for the head of each of their fathers’ households. [4] You shall then leave them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you. [5] And it will come about that the staff of the man whom I choose will sprout. So I will relieve Myself of the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling against you.” [6] So Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their leaders gave him a staff, one for each leader, for their fathers’ households, twelve staffs in all, with the staff of Aaron among their staffs. [7] Then Moses left the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony. [8] Now on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, Aaron’s staff for the house of Levi had sprouted and produced buds and bloomed with blossoms, and it yielded ripe almonds. [9] Moses then brought out all the staffs from the presence of the Lord to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his staff. [10] But the Lord said to Moses, “Put the staff of Aaron back in front of the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, so that you may put an end to their grumblings against Me and they do not die.” [11] Moses did so; just as the Lord had commanded him, so he did. [12] Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we are passing away, we are perishing, we are all perishing! [13] Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, must die. Are we to perish completely?”
