Numbers 17

Aaron’s Staff Buds

1
Ch 17:16 in Hebrew
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 bSpeak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathershouse, from all their chiefs according to their fathershouses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff, 3and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathershouse. 4Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, cwhere I meet with you. 5And the staff of the man dwhom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me ethe grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” 6Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathershouses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 7And Moses deposited the staffs before the Lord in fthe tent of the testimony.

8On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back gthe staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept has a sign for the rebels, ithat you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” 11Thus did Moses; as the Lord commanded him, so he did.

12And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 jEveryone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, shall die. Are we all to perish?”

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