1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Speak to the sons of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each father's house, from all their rulers according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods. Write thou every man's name upon his rod.

3 And thou shall write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers' houses.

4 And thou shall lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.

5 And it shall come to pass, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall 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 rulers gave him rods, for each ruler 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 Jehovah in the tent of the testimony.

8 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before Jehovah to all the sons of Israel. And they looked, and took every man his rod.

10 And Jehovah said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a sign against the sons of rebellion, that thou may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die.

11 Thus Moses did. As Jehovah commanded him, so he did.

12 And the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.

13 Every man who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of Jehovah, dies. Shall we all of us perish?