The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel,
and get from them staffs, one for each fathers' house, from all
their chiefs according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs.
Write each man's name on his staff, and write Aaron's name on the
staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each
fathers' house. Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting
before the testimony, where I meet with you. And the staff of the
man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me
the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against
you.” Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs
gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers'
houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their
staffs. And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent
of the testimony.
On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and
behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and
put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.
Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all
the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff.
And the LORD said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the
testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make
an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” Thus did
Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so he did.
And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we
are undone, we are all undone. Everyone who comes near, who comes
near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to
perish?”
