16And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 17‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; thou shalt write every man’s name upon his rod. 18And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for the head of their fathers’ houses. 19And thou shalt lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 20And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his rod shall bud; and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.’ 21And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 22And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. 23And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. 24And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel; and they looked, and took every man his rod.

25and the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept there, for a token against the rebellious children; that there may be made an end of their murmurings against Me, that they die not.’ 26Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

27And the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying: ‘Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 28Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of the LORD, is to die; shall we wholly perish?’