1 O Senhor disse a Moisés: 2 "Diga aos israelitas que tragam doze varas de madeira, uma para cada líder das tribos de seus antepassados. Escreva o nome de cada líder em sua vara. 3 Na vara da tribo de Levi, escreva o nome de Arão, pois é necessário que haja uma vara para cada chefe das tribos de seus antepassados. 4 Coloque as varas na tenda do encontro, diante da arca que contém as tábuas da aliança, onde eu me encontro com você. 5 A vara daquele que eu escolher florescerá, e eu acabarei de vez com a murmuração e as queixas dos israelitas contra vocês".

6 Moisés transmitiu as instruções ao povo de Israel, e cada um dos doze líderes das tribos, incluindo Arão, levou uma vara para Moisés. 7 Então Moisés colocou as varas na presença do Senhor na tenda da aliança. 8 No dia seguinte, quando Moisés entrou na tenda da aliança, viu que a vara de Arão, que representava a tribo de Levi, tinha florescido, produzindo brotos, botões, flores e amêndoas maduras.

9 Depois que retirou as varas da presença do Senhor, Moisés as mostrou para o povo, e cada líder tomou de volta sua vara. 10 O Senhor disse a Moisés: "Ponha a vara de Arão permanentemente diante da arca da aliança, para que sirva de advertência aos rebeldes. Isso acabará com as queixas deles contra mim e evitará mais mortes". 11 Moisés fez conforme o Senhor lhe ordenou.

12 Então os israelitas disseram a Moisés: "Estamos condenados! Vamos morrer, vamos todos morrer! 13 Quem se aproximar do tabernáculo do Senhor morrerá. Será que estamos todos condenados a morrer?".

1 And LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Speak to the sons of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers' house, from all their rulers according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods. Write thou every man's name upon his rod.

3 And thou shall write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers' houses.

4 And thou shall lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.

5 And it shall come to pass, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. And I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against you.

6 And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel. And all their rulers gave him rods, for each ruler 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 LORD in the tent of the testimony.

8 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before LORD to all the sons of Israel. And they looked, and took every man his rod.

10 And LORD said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a sign against the sons of rebellion, that thou may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die.

11 Thus Moses did. As LORD commanded him, so he did.

12 And the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.

13 Every man who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of LORD, dies. Shall we all of us perish?