| Christian Standard Bible | New International Version |
| 1The LORD instructed Moses: | 1The LORD said to Moses, |
| 2"Speak to the Israelites and take one staff from them for each ancestral tribe, twelve staffs from all the leaders of their tribes. Write each man's name on his staff. | 2"Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. |
| 3Write Aaron's name on Levi's staff, because there is to be one staff for the head of each tribe. | 3On the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. |
| 4Then place them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony where I meet with you. | 4Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you. |
| 5The staff of the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of the Israelites' complaints that they have been making about you." | 5The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites." |
| 6So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff, one for each of the leaders of their tribes, twelve staffs in all. Aaron's staff was among them. | 6So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron's staff was among them. |
| 7Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. | 7Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the covenant law. |
| 8The next day Moses entered the tent of the testimony and saw that Aaron's staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted, formed buds, blossomed, and produced almonds! | 8The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. |
| 9Moses then brought out all the staffs from the LORD's presence to all the Israelites. They saw them, and each man took his own staff. | 9Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD's presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff. |
| 10The LORD told Moses, "Put Aaron's staff back in front of the testimony to be kept as a sign for the rebels, so that you may put an end to their complaints before me, or else they will die." | 10The LORD said to Moses, "Put back Aaron's staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die." |
| 11So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. | 11Moses did just as the LORD commanded him. |
| 12Then the Israelites declared to Moses, "Look, we're perishing! We're lost; we're all lost! | 12The Israelites said to Moses, "We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! |
| 13Anyone who comes near the LORD's tabernacle will die. Will we all perish?" | 13Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to die?" |
| The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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