1. And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
2. “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and take from them a rod from each father’s house, all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each one’s name on his rod,
3. and write Aharon’s name on the rod of Lĕwi, for there is one rod for the head of each father’s house.
4. “You shall then place them in the Tent of Meeting before the Witness, where I meet with you.
5. “And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose buds, and I shall rid Myself of the grumblings of the children of Yisra’ĕl, which they grumble against you.”
6. And Mosheh spoke to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and all their leaders gave him a rod each, for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. And the rod of Aharon was among their rods.
7. So Mosheh placed the rods before יהוה in the Tent of the Witness.
8. And it came to be on the next day that Mosheh went into the Tent of the Witness and saw that the rod of Aharon, of the house of Lĕwi, had budded, and brought forth buds, and blossomed and bore ripe almonds.
9. And Mosheh brought out all the rods from before יהוה to all the children of Yisra’ĕl. And they looked, and each man took his rod.
10. And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Bring Aharon’s rod back before the Witness, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, so that you put an end to their grumblings against Me, lest they die.”
11. And Mosheh did as יהוה had commanded him, so he did.
12. And the children of Yisra’ĕl spoke to Mosheh, saying, “See, we shall die, we shall perish, we shall all perish!
13. “Anyone who comes near the Dwelling Place of יהוה dies. Shall we be consumed – to die?”