Numbers 17

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Numbers 17 – New International Version (NIV)

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff

  1. [a]The Lord said to Moses,
  2. “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff.
  3. On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe.
  4. Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you.
  5. The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”
  6. So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them.
  7. Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.
  8. The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.
  9. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.
  10. The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.”
  11. Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.
  12. The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!
  13. Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all going to die?”

Footnotes

a. Numbers 17:1 In Hebrew texts 17:1-13 is numbered 17:16-28.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Numbers 17 – King James Version (KJV)

Aaron’s Rod

  1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
  2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.
  3. And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
  4. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
  5. And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
  6. And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
  7. And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.
  8. And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
  9. And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
  10. And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
  11. And Moses did so: as the Lord commanded him, so did he.
  12. And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
  13. Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?