亚伦的杖
耶和华吩咐摩西说：
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2“你要吩咐以色列人，从他们当中取杖，每父家一根；从他们所有的领袖，按着父家，共取十二根。你要把各人的名字写在他的杖上，Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.
3并要把亚伦的名字写在利未的杖上，因为各父家的家长都有一根杖。And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
4你要把这些杖放在会幕里法柜前，我与你们☛“与你们”：有古卷和七十士译本是“与你”。相会的地方。And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
5我所拣选的人，他的杖必发芽。我就平息了以色列人向你们所发的怨言，不再达到我这里。”And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
6于是，摩西吩咐以色列人，他们的众领袖就把杖给他，一个领袖一根杖，按照父家一个领袖一根杖，共有十二根；亚伦的杖也在其中。And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
7摩西把这些杖放在耶和华面前，在法柜的帐幕里。And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
8第二天，摩西进到法柜的帐幕去，看哪，利未族亚伦的杖已经发芽，长了花苞，开了花，也结出熟的杏子！And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
9摩西把所有的杖从耶和华面前拿出来，给以色列众人看。他们都看见了，各领袖就把自己的杖拿去。And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
10耶和华吩咐摩西说：“把亚伦的杖放回法柜前，给这些背叛之子留作记号。你就可以平息他们向我所发的怨言，他们也不会死亡。”And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
11摩西就照样做了；耶和华怎样吩咐他，他就照样做。And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
12以色列人对摩西说：“看哪，我们死啦！我们灭亡啦！我们全都灭亡啦！And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
13凡挨近耶和华帐幕的，就必死亡。我们都要消灭而死吗？”Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?