Numbers 17
Modern English Version
The Budding of Aaron’s Rod
17 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and take from them a rod, a rod for the house of their fathers, from all their leaders according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod. 3 You will write the name of Aaron on the rod of Levi, because one rod will be for each father’s house. 4 You will lay them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I will meet with you. 5 It will be that the rod of the man whom I choose will bud. Thus I will rid myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, that they have been making against you.
6 Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each one of their leaders gave him a rod, one for each leader, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods, and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 7 Moses laid the rods before the Lord in the tent of witness.
8 When Moses went into the tent of witness the next day, the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi, had sprouted. It brought forth buds, produced blossoms, and yielded almonds. 9 Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the children of Israel, and they looked, and each man took his rod.
10 The Lord said to Moses, “Return the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a warning to rebels, that you may put an end to their complaints before Me, or else they will die.” 11 Moses did so. As the Lord commanded him, so he did.
12 The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we expire, we perish, we all perish. 13 Anyone approaching the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all to perish?”
Read full chapter
Numbers 17
21st Century King James Version
17 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and take from every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, from 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 spoke 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 spoke unto Moses, saying, “Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish!
13 Whosoever cometh anywhere near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die. Shall we be consumed with dying?”
Read full chapterThe Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.