Numbers 17

Aaron's staff buds

And the LORD said to Moses, ²“Speak to the Israelites and take from them twelve staffs, one from the leader of each tribe. Write each man’s name on his staff, ³and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi, because there must be one staff for the head of each tribe.

⁴Place the staffs in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I meet with you. ⁵The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid Myself of the constant grumbling of the Israelites against you.” ⁶So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff—one for each of the leaders of their tribes, twelve staffs in all. And Aaron’s staff was among them.

⁷Then Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony. ⁸The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron’s staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted, put forth buds, blossomed, and produced almonds.a ⁹Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD’s presence to all the Israelites. They saw them, and each man took his own staff.

¹⁰The LORD said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebellious, so that you may put an end to their grumbling against Me, lest they die.” ¹¹So Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. ¹²Then the Israelites declared to Moses, “Look, we are perishing! We are lost; we are all lost!

¹³Anyone who comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to perish?”