1 O Senhor disse a Moisés:
2 "Peça aos israelitas que tragam doze varas, uma de cada líder das tribos. Escreva o nome de cada líder em sua vara.
3 Na vara de Levi escreva o nome de Arão, pois é preciso que haja uma vara para cada chefe das tribos.
4 Deposite-as na Tenda do Encontro, em frente da arca das tábuas da aliança, onde eu me encontro com vocês.
5 A vara daquele que eu escolher florescerá, e eu me livrarei dessa constante queixa dos israelitas contra vocês".
6 Assim Moisés falou aos israelitas, e seus líderes deram-lhe doze varas, uma de cada líder das tribos, e a vara de Arão estava entre elas.
7 Moisés depositou as varas perante o Senhor na tenda que guarda as tábuas da aliança.
8 No dia seguinte Moisés entrou na tenda e viu que a vara de Arão, que representava a tribo de Levi, tinha brotado, produzindo botões e flores, além de amêndoas maduras.
9 Então Moisés retirou todas as varas da presença do Senhor e as levou a todos os israelitas. Eles viram as varas, e cada líder pegou a sua.
10 O Senhor disse a Moisés: "Ponha de volta a vara de Arão em frente da arca das tábuas da aliança, para ser guardada como uma advertência para os rebeldes. Isso porá fim à queixa deles contra mim, para que não morram".
11 Moisés fez conforme o Senhor lhe havia ordenado.
12 Os israelitas disseram a Moisés: "Nós morreremos! Estamos perdidos, estamos todos perdidos!
13 Todo aquele que se aproximar do santuário do Senhor morrerá. Será que todos nós vamos morrer? "
1 And the Lord said to Moses,
2 Say to the children of Israel that they are to give you rods, one for every family, for every chief, the head of his father's house, making twelve rods; let every man's name be placed on his rod.
3 And let Aaron's name be placed on the rod of Levi: for there is to be one rod for the head of every family.
4 And let them be stored up in the Tent of meeting, in front of the ark of witness where I come to you.
5 And the rod of that man who is marked out by me for myself will have buds on it; so I will put a stop to the outcries which the children of Israel make to me against you.
6 So Moses gave these orders to the children of Israel, and all their chiefs gave him rods, one for the head of every family, making twelve rods: and Aaron's rod was among them.
7 And Moses put the rods before the Lord in the Tent of witness.
8 Now on the day after, Moses went into the Tent of witness; and he saw that Aaron's rod, the rod of the house of Levi, had put out buds, and was covered with buds and flowers and fruit.
9 Then Moses took out all the rods from before the Lord, and gave them back to the children of Israel: and they saw them, and every man took his rod.
10 And the Lord said to Moses, Put Aaron's rod back in front of the ark of witness, to be kept for a sign against this false-hearted people, so that you may put a stop to their outcries against me, and death may not overtake them.
11 This Moses did: as the Lord gave orders, so he did.
12 And the children of Israel said to Moses, Truly, destruction has come on us; an evil fate has overtaken us all.
13 Death will overtake everyone who comes near, who comes near the House of the Lord: are we all to come to destruction?