1And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel, and take a rod from each of them, for a father’s house, from all their princes, for the house of their fathers—twelve rods; you write the name of each on his rod, 3and you write Aaron’s name on the tribe of Levi; for one rod [is] for the head of their fathers’ house. 4And you have placed them in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you. 5And it has come to pass, the man’s rod on whom I fix flourishes, and I have caused the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they are murmuring against you, to cease from off Me.” 6And Moses speaks to the sons of Israel, and all their princes give to him one rod for a prince, one rod for a prince, for their fathers’ house—twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron [is] in the midst of their rods; 7and Moses places the rods before YHWH in the Tent of the Testimony.

8And it comes to pass, on the next day, that Moses goes into the Tent of the Testimony, and behold, the rod of Aaron has flourished for the house of Levi, and brings out a bud, and blossoms [with] a blossom, and produces almonds; 9and Moses brings out all the rods from before YHWH to all the sons of Israel, and they look, and each takes his rod. 10And YHWH says to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the Testimony, for a charge, for a sign to the sons of rebellion, and you remove their murmurings from off Me, and they do not die”; 11and Moses does as YHWH has commanded him; so he has done.

12And the sons of Israel speak to Moses, saying, “Behold, we have expired, we have perished, all of us have perished! 13Any who is at all drawing near to the Dwelling Place of YHWH dies; have we not been consumed—to expire?”