1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod.
3 You shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.
4 You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.
5 It shall happen, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me.”
6 Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was among their rods.
7 Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the Tent of the Testimony.
8 On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.
9 Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.
10 Yahweh said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die.”
11 Moses did so. As Yahweh commanded him, so he did.
12 The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!
13 Everyone who keeps approaching Yahweh’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”
Study Numbers 17
Read the complete chapter before isolating one sentence, and note the reference and edition beside anything you quote. Then take a focused next step: a passage-note method or a memory practice method .
Edition and source notes
This is the World English Bible, a public-domain translation, in its own numbering: 13 verses of Numbers 17, with punctuation and line breaks as published. Source notes are labelled separately; the publisher’s headings and cross references are not part of the text. WEB edition notes.
Read Numbers 17 in the King James Version or the Berean Standard Bible .
Open Numbers 17 in the study app to take notes, make review cards or map the passage; it requires an account.