Numbers 17:1–13
1The LORD spoke to Moses and said, 2"Tell the Israelites to bring you a staff from each tribal leader — one for each ancestral tribe, 12 staffs total. Write each leader's name on his staff." 3"Write Aaron's name on the staff for the tribe of Levi, since there must be one staff for each tribal leader." 4"Place the staffs in the Tabernacle, in front of the ark of the covenant, where I meet with you." 5The rod of the man I choose shall blossom, and I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel against you cease from me. 6Moses told the Israelites what the LORD had said, and each of the 12 tribal leaders brought him a staff — one per tribe. Aaron's staff was among them. 7Moses placed the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. 8The next day, Moses went into the Tabernacle of Witness and saw that Aaron's rod, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted. It had produced buds, bloomed with blossoms, and yielded almonds. 9Moses brought all the staffs out from the LORD's presence and showed them to the Israelites. They examined them, and each leader took back his own staff. 10The LORD told Moses, "Put Aaron's staff back in front of the ark of the covenant. Keep it there as a warning to anyone who would rebel, so their complaining against me will stop and they won't have to die." 11Moses did exactly what the LORD commanded him. 12But the Israelites cried out to Moses, "We're dying! We're doomed! Every one of us is doomed!" 13"Anyone who even comes near the LORD's Tabernacle dies! Are we all going to be wiped out?"