Chapter 17
1 The Lord told Moses:
2 Place these sticks in the tent right in front of the sacred chest where I appear to you.
3 I will then choose a man to be my priest, and his stick will sprout. After that happens, I won’t have to listen to any more complaints about you.
4 Moses told the people what the Lord had commanded, and they gave him the walking sticks from the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron’s from the Levi tribe.
5 Moses took them and placed them in the Lord 's sacred tent.
6 The next day when Moses went into the tent, flowers and almonds were already growing on Aaron’s stick.
7 Moses brought the twelve sticks out of the tent and showed them to the people. Each of the leaders found his own and took it.
8 But the Lord told Moses, "Put Aaron’s stick back! Let it stay near the sacred chest as a warning to anyone who might think of rebelling. If these people don’t stop their grumbling about me, I will wipe them out."
9 Moses did what he was told.
10 The Israelites cried out to Moses, "We’re done for
11 and doomed if we even go near the sacred tent!"