1. 耶和华对摩西说， Then Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
2. 你要告诉以色列人，从他们取杖，每宗族一根；从他们所有的首领，按着宗族，共取十二根；你要将各人的名字写在各人的杖上， Speak to the children of Israel, and take from them rods, one for each father's house, twelve rods from all their leaders according to their fathers' houses; you shall write everyone's name upon his rod.
3. 并要将亚伦的名字写在利未的杖上，因为各宗族的族长必有一根杖。 And you shall write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for the head of each of their fathers' houses.
4. 你要把这些杖放在会幕内见证柜前，我与你们相会之处。 And you shall place them in the Tent of Meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.
5. 我拣选的那人，他的杖必发芽；这样，我必使以色列人向你们所发、对我的怨言止息。 And the rod of the man whom I choose shall bud, and I will put a stop to the murmurings of the children of Israel against Me, which they murmur against you.
6. 于是摩西告诉以色列人。他们的首领就把杖交给他，按着宗族，每首领一根，共有十二根；亚伦的杖也在其中。 So Moses spoke to the children of Israel. And every one of their leaders gave him a rod, one rod for each leader according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods, with the rod of Aaron among their rods.
7. 摩西就把杖放在见证的会幕内，在耶和华面前。 And Moses placed the rods before Jehovah in the Tent of the Testimony.
8. 第二天，摩西进见证的会幕去；看哪，利未家亚伦的杖已经发了芽，甚至生了花苞，开了花，结了熟杏。 And on the next day Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony, and there was the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi: it had budded; it even put forth buds and produced blossoms and bore ripe almonds.
9. 摩西就把所有的杖从耶和华面前拿出来，给以色列众人看；他们看见了，各首领就把自己的杖拿去。 And Moses brought out all the rods from before Jehovah to all the children of Israel, and they looked; and each one took his rod.
10. 耶和华对摩西说，把亚伦的杖放回见证柜前，给这些背叛之子留作记号；这样，你就使他们向我发的怨言止息，免得他们死亡。 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, so that you may put an end to their murmurings against Me, and they not die.
11. 摩西就这样行；耶和华怎样吩咐他，他就怎样行。 And Moses did so; just as Jehovah commanded him, so he did.
12. 以色列人对摩西说，我们死啦，我们灭亡啦，我们都灭亡啦！ And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Alas, we die out; we perish; all of us perish.
13. 凡挨近耶和华帐幕的是必死的。难道我们都要死么？ Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of Jehovah, dies. Are we to completely die out?