1 The People Complain Now the people became like those who complain of calamity in the ears of Yahweh. And Yahweh hearditand His anger was kindled, and the fire of Yahweh burned among them and consumedsomeof the outskirts of the camp.
2 The people therefore cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire 11:2Lit sank down died out.
3 So the name of that place was called 11:3Lit burning Taberah because the fire of Yahweh burned among them.
4 And the rabble who were among them 11:4 Lit desired a desire had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, “Who will give us 11:4 Lit flesh, so in ch meat to eat?
5 We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic,
6 but now our 11:6Lit soul appetite is dried up. There is nothing at all 11:6Lit for our eyes to look at except this manna.”
7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.
8 The people would go about and gatheritand grindit 11:8 Lit with between two millstones or beatitin the mortar, and boilitin the pot and make cakes with it; and its taste was as the taste of 11:8 Lit juice of oil cakes baked with oil.
9 And when the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall 11:9Lit on with it.Moses Complains
10 Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of Yahweh was kindled greatly, and it was evil in the sight of Moses.
11 So Moses said to Yahweh, “Why have You 11:11Lit dealt ill with allowed this evil toward Your slave? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me?
12 Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who gave birth to them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a 11:12Or foster-father nurse carries a nursing baby, to the land which You swore to their fathers’?
13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’
14 I alone am not able to carry all this people because it is too heavy for me.
15 So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”The Spirit Rests upon the Elders
16 Yahweh therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers, and take them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you.
17 Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will putHimupon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bearitall alone.
18 And say to the people, ‘Set yourselves apart as holy for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, “Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For it was good for us in Egypt.” Therefore Yahweh will give you meat, and you shall eat.
19 You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,
20 11:20Lit until but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected Yahweh who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever go out from Egypt?” ’ ”
21 But Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are600,000on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, so that they may eat for a whole month.’
22 Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?”
23 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Is Yahweh’s 11:23Lit hand short power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will happen for you or not.”
24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of Yahweh. Also, he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and had them stand around the tent.
25 Then Yahweh came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took of the Spirit who was upon him and placedHimupon the seventy elders. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not doitagain.
26 But two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the 11:26Lit second other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them (now they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the tent), and they prophesied in the camp.
27 So a young man ran and told Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28 Then Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said, “Moses, my lord, restrain them.”
29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of Yahweh were prophets, that Yahweh would put His Spirit upon them!”
30 Then Moses 11:30Lit removed himself returned to the camp,bothhe and the elders of Israel.The Quail and the Plague
31 Now there went forth a wind from Yahweh, and it brought quail from the sea, and letthemfall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp and 11:31Or from about two cubits above about two 11:31A cubit was approx. 18 in. or 45 cm cubits over the surface of the ground.
32 And the people 11:32Lit rose spent all day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered 11:32Approx. 65 bu. or2,300l, a homer was approx.6.5bu. or 230 l ten homers), and they spreadthemout for themselves all around the camp.
33 While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the people, and Yahweh struck the people with a very severe plague.
34 So the name of that place was called 11:34 Lit the graves of greediness Kibroth-hattaavah because there they buried the people who had been greedy.
35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people set out for Hazeroth, and they 11:35Lit were remained at Hazeroth.