Aaron’s Staff Chosen

17 The Lord instructed Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and take one staff from them for each ancestral tribe,^[a] twelve staffs from all the leaders of their tribes.^[b] Write each man’s name on his staff. ³ Write Aaron’s name on Levi’s staff, because there is to be one staff for the head of each tribe. ⁴ Then place them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony where I meet with you. ⁵ The staff of the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of the Israelites’ complaints that they have been making about you.”

⁶ So 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. Aaron’s staff was among them.^{(A) 7} Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.

⁸ The next day Moses entered the tent of the testimony and saw that Aaron’s staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted, formed buds, blossomed, and produced almonds! ⁹ Moses then brought out all the staffs from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They saw them, and each man took his own staff. ¹⁰ The Lord told Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the testimony to be kept as a sign^(B) for the rebels, so that you may put an end to their complaints before me, or else they will die.”^{(C) 11} So Moses did as the Lord commanded him.

¹² Then the Israelites declared to Moses, “Look, we’re perishing! We’re lost; we’re all lost! ¹³ Anyone who comes near the Lord’s tabernacle will die.^(D) Will we all perish?”