The Budding of Aaron’s Rod

1a The LORD instructed Moses, 2“Tell the Israelis to take a rod—one from each ancestral house, that is, one from every leader, for a total of twelve rods. Write each tribal name on his rod. 3You are also to write Aaron’s name on the tribe of Levi, since there is to be one rod for every leader of their ancestral tribes.

4“Then lay them there in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Ark of the Covenantb where I’ll meet with you. 5The rod that belongs to the man whom I’ll choose will burst into bloom. That’s how I’ll put a stop to the complaints of the Israelis, who are complaining against you.”

6So Moses spoke to the Israelis, and each of the tribe leaders gave him a rod, one for each leader, according to their ancestral tribes, for a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was one of them. 7Then Moses laid out the rods in the LORD’S presence, inside the Tent of Testimony. 8The next morning, Moses went to the Tent of Testimony and the rod of Aaron of the tribe of Levi had burst into bloom! It sprouted buds, bloomed blossoms, and produced fully ripe almonds! 9Then Moses took out all the rods from the LORD’s presence to showc all the Israelis. Everybody looked, and then each man took his rod.

10Then the Lord instructed Moses, “Return Aaron’s rod before the testimonyd to be kept for a remindere against the rebelsf so that you may put an end to their complaints against me and so that they won’t die.”

11So Moses did exactly what the LORD had commanded him to do. 12Then the Israelis told Moses, “We’re sure to die! We’re all going to perish—all of us! 13Anyone who comes near or approaches the LORD’s tent is to die. Are all of us going to die?”