Aaron's Walking Stick
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to give you twelve walking sticks, one from the leader of each tribe. Write each man's name on his stick 3 and then write Aaron's name on the stick representing Levi. There will be one stick for each tribal leader. 4 Take them to the Tent of my presence and put them in front of the Covenant Box, where I meet you. 5 Then the stick of the man I have chosen will sprout. In this way I will put a stop to the constant complaining of these Israelites against you.”
6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a stick, one for each tribe, twelve in all, and Aaron's stick was put with them. 7 Moses then put all the sticks in the Tent in front of the Lord's Covenant Box.
8 The next day, when Moses went into the Tent, he saw that Aaron's stick, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted. It had budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds! 9 Moses took all the sticks and showed them to the Israelites. They saw what had happened, and each leader took his own stick back. 10 The Lord said to Moses, “Put Aaron's stick back in front of the Covenant Box. It is to be kept as a warning to the rebel Israelites that they will die unless their complaining stops.” 11 Moses did as the Lord commanded.
12 The people of Israel said to Moses, “Then that's the end of us! 13 If anyone who even comes near the Tent must die, then we are all as good as dead!”
Ludozo gwa Aroni
1 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 2 “Idwa bathu be Iziraela bakupe wombo dzili gumi lina mbili. Utole lukombo gung'ompela mubali, gudwa mu ntungamili we ludzi gumwe ne gumwe, dzibe gumi lina mbili. Ukwale zina le nlume mmwe ne mmwe mu lukombo gugwe. 3 Ngono mu ludzi gwa Levi ukwale zina la Aroni. Ngoti kowobe lukombo gung'ompela gwe ntungamili kudwa mu ludzi gumwe ne gumwe. 4 Utole wombo idzedzi unodzibiga mu nshasha we bushanganilo mbeli kwe Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu, pandinoshanganila nawe. 5 Ngono lukombo gwe nlume wandashalula gowothinila. Ndiyo zila yandinowothama kuti bathu ibaba Baiziraela bamise kung'ong'ola, kwabanong'ong'ola nge kwenyu.” 6 Mushe kadwa bathu be Iziraela kuti bampe wombo, ngono batungamili babo bose bakampa wombo, gung'ompela gwe ntungamili nng'ompela. Wombo dzili gumi lina mbili kuyendidza nge ng'umba dzabo tate babo. Ngono lukombo gwa Aroni gwakabe guli pakati kwe wombo dzabo. 7 Mushe kabiga wombo mbeli kwa Yahwe, mu nshasha we bushanganilo.
8 Kukati tjimuka Mushe engina mu nshasha we bushanganilo, ngono bonani, kawana lukombo gwa Aroni gumilile ng'umba ya Levi gwakathinila, kakale guna maluba ne mitjelo yakabidwa ye nti unoyi alimondi. 9 Mushe katola wombo mbeli kwa Yahwe kabhudila nadzo dzose kuzhe ku bathu be Iziraela bose, ngono bakadzilinga, mmwe ne mmwe katola lukombo gugwe. 10 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Bgwiliza lukombo gwa Aroni mbeli kwe Bhokisi le Tjidumano kuti gugale guli tjilakidzo mu bapanduki, kuti uthame kuti bamise kung'ong'ola nge kwangu, kusajalo, banowofa.” 11 Mushe kathama sekwa adwiwa ndi Yahwe.
12 Baiziraela bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Bonani, tafa tapela, tapela tose. 13 Mmwe ne mmwe unowosedzela, pa bugalo gwa Yahwe unowofa. Apa towoloba tose kene?”