1 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and take a rod from each of them, for a father’s house, from all their princes, for the house of their fathers—twelve rods. You will write the name of each on his rod, 3 and you will write Aaron’s name on the tribe of Levi. For one rod is for the head of their fathers’ house. 4 And you place them in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you. 5 And it will come to pass, the man’s rod on whom I fix flourishes, and I have caused the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they are murmuring against you, to cease from off Me.” 6 And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, and all their princes gave to him one rod for a prince, one rod for a prince, for their fathers’ house—twelve rods. And the rod of Aaron was in the middle of their rods. 7 And Moses placed the rods before YHWH in the Tent of the Testimony. 8 And it came to pass, on the next day, that Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony, and look, the rod of Aaron had flourished for the house of Levi, and brought out a bud, and blossoms with a blossom, and produced almonds. 9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before YHWH to all the sons of Israel, and they looked, and each took his rod. 10 And YHWH said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the Testimony, for a charge, for a sign to the sons of rebellion, and you will remove their murmurings from off Me, and they will not die.” 11 And Moses did as YHWH had commanded him. So he had done. 12 And the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Look, we will breathe our last, we will perish, all of us will perish! 13 Any who is at all drawing near to the Dwelling Place of YHWH will die. Have we not been consumed—to breathe our last?”