1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2. "Speak to the sons of Israel, and receive from each of them a rod by their kinships, from all the leaders of the tribes, twelve rods, and write the name of each one on his rod.
3. But the name of Aaron shall be for the tribe of Levi, and one rod separately shall contain all their families.
4. And you shall place these in the tabernacle of the covenant before the testimony, where I will speak to you.
5. Whomever of these I will choose, his rod will germinate, and so shall I restrain the complaints of the sons of Israel before me, by which they murmur against you."