亚伦的杖
1耶和华对摩西说： 2“你叫以色列各支派的首领每人拿一根杖来，共十二根，你要在上面写上他们各人的名字。 3你要把亚伦的名字写在利未支派的杖上，每个支派的首领都要有一根杖。 4你要把这些杖放在会幕内的约柜前，就是我跟你会面的地方。 5谁的杖发芽，谁就是我所拣选的人。这样，我必消除以色列人对你们的埋怨。” 6于是，摩西吩咐以色列每个支派的首领把杖都交给他，包括亚伦的杖在内，共十二根。 7他把杖放在放约柜的圣幕里——耶和华面前。 8第二天，摩西进入约柜所在的圣幕里，看见利未支派亚伦的杖不单发了芽，长了花蕾，还开了花，结出熟杏。 9摩西就从耶和华那里拿出所有的杖给以色列人看。他们看后，各位首领便取回自己的杖。 10耶和华对摩西说：“把亚伦的杖放回约柜前，让叛逆之徒引以为戒。这样，你就可以平息他们对我的怨言，使他们不致灭亡。” 11摩西照耶和华的吩咐行了。 12以色列人对摩西说：“完了！我们死定了！我们全死定了！ 13凡走近耶和华圣幕的都要死，我们岂不是全都要灭亡吗？”
Aaron’s Walking Stick Produces Buds
1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Speak to the Israelites. Get 12 walking sticks from them. Get one from the leader of each of Israel’s tribes. Write the name of each man on his walking stick. 3Write Aaron’s name on Levi’s walking stick. There must be one stick for the head of each of Israel’s tribes. 4Put the walking sticks in the tent of meeting. Place them in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. That is where I meet with you. 5The walking stick that belongs to the man I choose will begin to grow new shoots. The Israelites are never happy with what you do. I will put an end to what they are saying.”
6So Moses spoke to the Israelites. Their leaders gave him 12 walking sticks. They gave one for the leader of each of Israel’s tribes. Aaron’s walking stick was among them. 7Moses put the sticks in front of the Lord in the tent where the tablets of the covenant law were kept.
8The next day Moses entered the tent. He looked at Aaron’s walking stick. It stood for the tribe of Levi. Moses saw that it had begun to grow new shoots. It had also produced buds and flowers and almonds. 9Then Moses brought out all the walking sticks from in front of the Lord. He brought them to all the Israelites. They looked at them. And each man took his own walking stick.
10The Lord said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s walking stick back in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant law are kept. The stick will be kept there as a warning to those who refuse to obey. They are never happy with what I do. Aaron’s walking stick will put an end to what they are saying. Then they will not die.” 11Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.
12The Israelites said to Moses, “We’ll die! We are lost! All of us are lost! 13Anyone who even comes near the Lord’s holy tent will die. Are all of us going to die?”
