Numbers Chapter 17

The budding of Aaron’s rod

17:1 AND the LORD spake to Moses, saying,
17:2 Speak to 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 you every man’s name upon his rod.
17:3 And you will write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi for one rod [shall be] for the head of the house of their fathers.
17:4 And you will lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
17:5 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.
17:6 And Moses spake to 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.
17:7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
17:8 And it came to pass, that the next day 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.
17:9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel and they looked, and took every man his rod.

A token against rebels

17:10 And the LORD said to Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels ; and you will quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
17:11 And Moses did [so] as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
17:12 And the children of Israel spake to Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
17:13 Whosoever comes any thing near to the tabernacle of the LORD shall die shall we be consumed with dying ?