Aaron’s Staff Is Chosen

17 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “Speak to the Israelites, and collect staffs from them, one from each father’s house, from all their tribal chiefs according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs in all. Write each man’s name on his staff. ³ Write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi, because there will be one staff for each head of their fathers’ houses. ⁴ You are to place them in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you. ⁵ The staff of the man whom I will choose will sprout. I will rid myself of the Israelites’ constant grumbling against you.”

⁶ So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each one of their tribal chiefs gave him a staff, one staff for each tribal chief according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs in all. Aaron’s staff was among their staffs. ⁷ Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the Tent of the Testimony.

⁸ On the next day Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony and discovered that Aaron’s staff representing the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced almonds. ⁹ Moses brought out all the staffs from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked, and each man took his staff.

¹⁰ The Lord said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the Testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebellious.^[a] In this way you will put an end to their grumblings against me, so that they do not die.” ¹¹ That is what Moses did. He did just as the Lord commanded him.

¹² The Israelites said to Moses, “Look, we are perishing! We are lost! We are all lost! ¹³ Everyone who approaches the Lord’s Dwelling dies! Must we all perish?”