¹ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 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 on his rod. ³ And you will write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi: for one rod will be for the head of the house of their fathers. ⁴ And you will lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. ⁵ And it will come to pass, that the man's rod, who I will choose, will blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, through which they murmur against you. ⁶ And Moses spoke 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. ⁷ And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. ⁸ And it came to pass, that on the tomorrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, see, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forward buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 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. 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. ¹¹ And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he. ¹² And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, See, we die, we perish, we all perish. ¹³ Whosoever comes any thing near to the tabernacle of the LORD will die: will we be consumed with dying?