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17:1 耶和华对摩西说，
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17:2 你晓谕以色列人，从他们手下取杖，每支派一根。从他们所有的首领，按着支派，共取十二根。你要将各人的名字写在各人的杖上，
Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.
17:3 并要将亚伦的名字写在利未的杖上，因为各族长必有一根杖。
And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.
17:4 你要把这些杖存在会幕内法柜前，就是我与你们相会之处。
And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.
17:5 后来我所拣选的那人，他的杖必发芽。这样，我必使以色列人向你们所发的怨言止息，不再达到我耳中。
And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.
17:6 于是摩西晓谕以色列人，他们的首领就把杖交给他，按着支派，每首领一根，共有十二根。亚伦的杖也在其中。
And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.
17:7 摩西就把杖存在法柜的帐幕内，在耶和华面前。
And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
17:8 第二天，摩西进法柜的帐幕去。谁知利未族亚伦的杖已经发了芽，生了花苞，开了花，结了熟杏。
And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
17:9 摩西就把所有的杖从耶和华面前拿出来，给以色列众人看。他们看见了，各首领就把自己的杖拿去。
And 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.
17:10 耶和华吩咐摩西说，把亚伦的杖还放在法柜前，给这些背叛之子留作记号。这样，你就使他们向我发的怨言止息，免得他们死亡。
And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
17:11 摩西就这样行。耶和华怎样吩咐他，他就怎样行了。
And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
17:12 以色列人对摩西说，我们死喇。我们灭亡喇。都灭亡喇。
And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.
17:13 凡挨近耶和华帐幕的是必死的。我们都要死亡吗，
Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?
民数记17参考
以色列人蒙神恩却悖逆神；我蒙神恩懂得感谢神吗？
17:5, 10 百姓虽曾体验神的同在，看到他大能的神迹，也看到埃及人受种种灾殃的打击，却仍然怨声载道，大大地悖逆神。他们冥顽不灵，虽然令人费解，但在生活中我们也常重蹈覆辙。我们有千百年的凭证，圣经译成多国文字，并有许多考古学、神学研究的成果，可仍旧有许多现代人不顺服神，偏行己路。我们往往和以色列人一样，看重肉体的需要，过于属灵的景况。要避免重蹈覆辙，惟有定睛仰望神，他必亲自与我们同在。神曾否保护你，引导你？曾否听你的祷告？你知道有人得著神的祝福，甚至蒙神医治吗？你读过圣经上神如何带领属他的人吗？把眼光放在神所成就过的事上，你就很难再有背逆神的念头了！