“Speak to the children of Israel, and take from them walking staffs, one for each fathers’ house from all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses, 12 staffs; write every man’s name on his staff.
You are to write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi, for there must be one staff for each head of their fathers’ houses.
You are to lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the testimony where I meet with you.
It will come to pass that the staff of the man whom I will choose will bud: and I will make to cease the murmurings of the children of Israel that they murmur against you.”
And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their leaders gave him their staffs, for each leader one according to their fathers’ houses, even 12 staffs; and the staff of Aaron was among their staffs.
Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the tent of the testimony.
It came to pass on the next day, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.
Moses brought out all the staffs from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel, and they looked, and each man took his staff.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back before the Testimony to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion, so that you make an end of their murmurings against me, so that they do not die.”
Moses did so. As Yahweh commanded him, so he did.
The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we die! We are lost! We are all lost!
Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of Yahweh, dies! Will we all perish?”