| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1The LORD spoke to Moses: | 1The LORD said to Moses, |
| 2"Speak to the Israelites, and receive from them a staff from each tribe, one from every tribal leader, twelve staffs; you must 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. |
| 3You must write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi; for one staff is for the head of every tribe. | 3On the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. |
| 4You must place them in the tent of meeting before the ark of the covenant where I meet with you. | 4Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you. |
| 5And the staff of the man whom I choose will blossom; so I will rid myself of the complaints of the Israelites, which they murmur against you." | 5The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites." |
| 6So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff, one for each leader, according to their tribes--twelve staffs; the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. | 6So 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. |
| 7Then Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. | 7Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the covenant law. |
| 8On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony--and the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted, and brought forth buds, and produced blossoms, and yielded almonds! | 8The 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. |
| 9So Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each man took his staff. | 9Then 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. |
| 10The LORD said to Moses, "Bring Aaron's staff back before the testimony to be preserved for a sign to the rebels, so that you may bring their murmurings to an end before me, that they will not die." | 10The 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." |
| 11So Moses did as the LORD commanded him--this is what he did. | 11Moses did just as the LORD commanded him. |
| 12The Israelites said to Moses, "We are bound to die! We perish, we all perish! | 12The Israelites said to Moses, "We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! |
| 13Anyone who even comes close to the tabernacle of the LORD will die! Are we all to die?" | 13Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to die?" |
|
    |