17:1 (17:16)(v) Aharon Exalted
And ADONAI (יהוה) spoke to Moshe, saying:
17:2 (17:17)Daber el-benei Yisrael vekakh meitam mateh mateh leveit av meet kol-nesiehem leveit avotam sheneim asar matot ish et-shemo tikhtov al-matehu:
"Speak to the children of Yisrael, and get from them a rod from each father's house, all their leaders according to their fathers' houses—twelve rods. Write each man's name on his rod.
17:3 (17:18) And you shall write Aharon's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod [shall be] for the head of the houses their avot.
17:4 (17:19) And you shall lay them up in the oleh Moed before the edut, where I will meet with you.
17:5 (17:20) And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Yisrael, which they make against you."
17:6 (17:21) And Moshe spoke to the benai Yisrael, and every one of their sarim gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their avot' houses, [even] twelve rods: and the rod of Aharon [was] among their rods.
17:7 (17:22) And Moshe laid up the rods before ADONAI (יהוה) in the tabernacle of witness.
17:8 (17:23) Vayehi mimakhorat vayavo Moshe el-ohel haedut vehineh parakh mateh-Aharon leveit Levi vayotse perakh vayatzetz tzitz vayigmol shekedim:
Now it came to pass on the next day that Moshe went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aharon, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.
17:9 (17:24) And Moshe brought out all the rods from before ADONAI (יהוה) to all the benai Yisra'el: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
17:10 (17:25) (vi) Worship Restored:
And ADONAI (יהוה) said to Moshe:
Bring Aharon's rod again before the edut, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and you shall quite take away their telunah (murmurings) from me, that they die not.
17:11 (17:26)And Moshe did [so]: as ADONAI (יהוה) commanded him, so did he.
17:12 (17:27)And the benai Yisrael spoke to Moshe, saying, Hinei, we die, we perish, we all perish.
17:13 (17:28)Whosoever comes any thing near to the mishkan of ADONAI (יהוה) shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?