NETfree - Numbers - 17

17:1  The LORD spoke to Moses:

17:2  "Speak to the Israelites, and receive from them a staff from each tribe, one from every tribal leader, twelve staffs; you must write each man's name on his staff.

17:3  You must write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi; for one staff is for the head of every tribe.

17:4  You must place them in the tent of meeting before the ark of the covenant where I meet with you.

17:5  And the staff of the man whom I choose will blossom; so I will rid myself of the complaints of the Israelites, which they murmur against you."

17:6  So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff, one for each leader, according to their tribes - twelve staffs; the staff of Aaron was among their staffs.

17:7  Then Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.

17:8  On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony - and the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted, and brought forth buds, and produced blossoms, and yielded almonds!

17:9  So Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each man took his staff.

17:10  The LORD said to Moses, "Bring Aaron's staff back before the testimony to be preserved for a sign to the rebels, so that you may bring their murmurings to an end before me, that they will not die."

17:11  So Moses did as the LORD commanded him - this is what he did.

17:12  The Israelites said to Moses, "We are bound to die! We perish, we all perish!

17:13  Anyone who even comes close to the tabernacle of the LORD will die! Are we all to die?"