Numbers 17

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 The LORD said to Moses,	1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 "Tell Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, to remove the censers from the embers; and scatter the fire some distance away,	2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.
3 for these sinners have consecrated the censers at the cost of their lives. Have them hammered into plates to cover the altar, because in being presented before the LORD they have become sacred. In this way they shall serve as a sign to the Israelites."	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 So Eleazar the priest had the bronze censers of those burned during the offering hammered into a covering for the altar,	4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
5 in keeping with the orders which the LORD had given him through Moses. This cover was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no layman, no one who was not a descendant of Aaron, should approach the altar to offer incense before the LORD, lest he meet the fate of Korah and his band.	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 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "It is you who have slain the LORD'S people."	6 And Moses spake 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 But while the community was deliberating against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the meeting tent, and the cloud now covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.	7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
8 Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the meeting tent,	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 the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,	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 "Depart from this community, that I may consume them at once." But they fell prostrate.	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 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, and bring it quickly to the community to make atonement for them; for wrath has come forth from the LORD and the blow is falling."	11 And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
12 Obeying the orders of Moses, Aaron took his censer and ran in among the community, where the blow was already falling on the people. Then, as he offered the incense and made atonement for the people,	12 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
13 standing there between the living and the dead, the scourge was checked.	13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?
14 Yet fourteen thousand seven hundred died from the scourge, in addition to those who died because of Korah.
15 When the scourge had been checked, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the meeting tent.
16 The LORD now said to Moses,
17 "Speak to the Israelites and get one staff from them for each ancestral house, twelve staffs in all, one from each of their tribal princes. Mark each man's name on his staff;
18 and mark Aaron's name on Levi's staff, for the head of Levi's ancestral house shall also have a staff.
19 Then lay them down in the meeting tent, in front of the commandments, where I meet you.
20 There the staff of the man of my choice shall sprout. Thus will I suppress from my presence the Israelites' grumbling against you."
21 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their princes gave him staffs, twelve in all, one from each tribal prince; and Aaron's staff was with them.
22 Then Moses laid the staffs down before the LORD in the tent of the commandments.
23 The next day, when Moses entered the tent, Aaron's staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth not only shoots, but blossoms as well, and even bore ripe almonds!
24 Moses thereupon brought out all the staffs from the LORD'S presence to the Israelites. After each prince identified his own staff and took it,
25 the LORD said to Moses, "Put back Aaron's staff in front of the commandments, to be kept there as a warning to the rebellious, so that their grumbling may cease before me; if it does not, they will die."
26 And Moses did as the LORD had commanded him.
27 Then the Israelites cried out to Moses, "We are perishing; we are lost, we are all lost!
28 Every time anyone approaches the Dwelling of the LORD, he dies! Are we to perish to the last man?"