Dual Panel1The LORD said to Moses,
2“Speak to the Israelites and get from them a staff for each tribe, one from every tribal chief, twelve in all, and write each man's name on his staff.
3On Levi's staff write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for each head of a tribe.
4Put them all in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony, where I meet you,
5and the staff of the man whom I choose will put forth buds. I shall rid myself of the complaints of these Israelites, who keep on complaining against you.”
6Moses gave those instructions to the Israelites, and each of their chiefs handed him a staff for his tribe, twelve in all, and Aaron's staff among them.
7Moses laid them before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony,
8and next day when he entered the tent, he found that Aaron's staff, the staff for the tribe of Levi, had budded. Indeed, it had put forth buds, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds.
9Moses then brought out the staffs from before the LORD and showed them to all the Israelites; they saw for themselves, and each man took his own staff.
10The LORD said to Moses, “Put back Aaron's staff in front of the Testimony to be kept as a warning to rebels, so that you may rid me of their complaints, and then they will not die.”
11Moses did this, doing exactly as the LORD had commanded him.
12THE Israelites said to Moses, “This is the end of us! We must perish, one and all!
13Everyone who goes near the Tabernacle of the LORD will die. Is this to be our final end?”