1 The Lord spoke to Moses:
2 Speak to the Israelites and take from them a staff from each household, from each of the chiefs of their households, twelve staffs. Write each person’s name on his staff.
3 Write Aaron’s name on Levi’s staff, for there will be one staff for the leader of each household.
4 Then you will place them in the meeting tent in front of the chest containing the covenant, where I meet you.
5 The staff of the person I choose will sprout. Then I will rid myself of the Israelites’ complaints that they make against you.
6 Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their chiefs gave him a staff, one staff for each chief and his household, twelve staffs, and the staff of Aaron was with their staffs.
7 Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the meeting tent.