"Bring AARON your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest's office, even AARON, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, AARON's sons.

You shall clothe them with belts, AARON and his sons, and bind headbands on them: and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute: and you shall consecrate AARON and his sons.

1. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2. "Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods. Write each man's name on his rod.

3. You shall write AARON's name on the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers' houses.

4. You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.

5. It shall happen, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me."

6. Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods. AARON's rod was among their rods.

7. Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.

8. On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, AARON's rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

9. Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.

10. The LORD said to Moses, "Put back the rod of AARON before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die."

11. Moses did so. As the LORD commanded him, so he did.

12. The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone!

13. Everyone who keeps approaching The LORD's tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?"

The LORD said to AARON, "You and your sons and your fathers' house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

Moses and AARON were among his priests,Samuel among those who call on his name;they called on The LORD, and he answered them.

Nobody takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God, just like AARON was.