17:11 The Lord spoke to Moses: 17:2 “Speak to the Israelites, and receive from them a rod from each tribe,2 one from every tribal leader,3 twelve rods; you must write each man’s name on his rod. 17:3 You must write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for one rod is for the head of every tribe.4 17:4 You must lay them5 in the tent of meeting before the ark of the covenant6 where I meet with you. 17:5 And the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; so I will rid myself of the murmurings of the Israelites, which they murmur against you.”
17:6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a rod, one for each leader,7 according to their tribes8—twelve rods; the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 17:7 Then Moses placed the rods before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.9
17:8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony—and10 the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds!11 17:9 So Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the Israelites. They looked at them,12 and each man took his rod.
The Memorial
17:10 The Lord said to Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod back before the testimony to be preserved for a sign to the rebels so that you may bring their murmurings to an end13 before me, that they may not die.”14 17:11 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him—this is what he did.
17:12 The Israelites said to Moses, “We are bound to die!15 We perish, we all perish! 17:13 16 Anyone who even comes close to the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all to die?”17
Responsibilities of the Priests