The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
New International Version NIV
1 ADONAI said to Moshe,
1
The LORD said to Moses,
2 "Speak to the people of Isra'el, and take from them staffs, one for each ancestral tribe from each leader of a tribe, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff;
2
“Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff.
3 and write Aharon's name on the staff of Levi, for each tribe's leader is to have one staff.
3
On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe.
4 Put them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you.
4
Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you.
5 The staff of the man I am going to choose will sprout buds - in this way I will put a stop to the complaints the people of Isra'el keep making against you."
5
The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”
6 Moshe spoke to the people of Isra'el, and all their leaders gave him staffs, one for each leader, according to their ancestral tribes, twelve staffs. Aharon's staff was among their staffs.
6
So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them.
7 Moshe put the staffs before ADONAI in the tent of the testimony.
7
Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the covenant law.
8 The next day Moshe went into the tent of the testimony, and there he saw that Aharon's staff for the house of Levi had budded - it had sprouted not only buds but flowers and ripe almonds as well.
8
The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.
9 Moshe brought out all the staffs from before ADONAI to all the people of Isra'el, and they looked, and each man took back his staff.
9
Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.
10 ADONAI said to Moshe, "Return Aharon's staff to its place in front of the testimony. It is to be kept there as a sign to the rebels, so that they will stop grumbling against me and thus not die."
10
The LORD said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.”
11 Moshe did this; he did as ADONAI had ordered him.
11
Moses did just as the LORD commanded him.
12 But the people of Isra'el said to Moshe, "Oh no! We're dead men! Lost! We're all lost!
12
The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!
13 Whenever anyone approaches the tabernacle of ADONAI, he dies! Will we all perish?"
13
Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to die?”
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.