1 ¶ And it came to pass that the people complained in an evil manner in the ears of the LORD, and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burnt among them and consumed in the uttermost parts of the camp.

Now the people complained about their troubles in the hearing of the Lord. When the Lord heard it, His anger burned. The fire of the Lord burned among them, and destroyed some around the outer parts of the tents.

2 T hen the people cried unto Moses, and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

Then the people cried to Moses and he prayed to the Lord, and the fire went out.

3 A nd he called the name of the place Taberah because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them.

4 ¶ And the vulgar who were mixed in among them returned to their lust; and even the sons of Israel wept and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

The mixed group of people among them had strong desires. The people of Israel cried again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat?

5 W e remember the fish, which we freely ate in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic,

We remember all the fish we could eat free in Egypt, and all the fruit and vegetables and spices.

6 b ut now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes.

But now our strength is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this bread from heaven.”

7 A nd the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

Now the bread from heaven was like coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium.

8 A nd the people scattered about and gathered it and ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar and baked it in pans and made cakes of it, and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

The people would go and gather it and beat it between stones. They boiled it in a pot or made bread with it. It tasted like bread made with oil.

9 A nd when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

When the grass became wet around the tents at night, the bread from heaven would fall.

10 T hen Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, each man in the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

Moses heard all the people crying in every family, each man at the door of his tent. The Lord became very angry with them and Moses was not pleased.

11 A nd Moses said unto the LORD, Why hast thou afflicted thy slave and why have I not found grace in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all these people upon me?

So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? Why have I not found favor in Your eyes, that You have laid the troubles of all these people on me?

12 H ave I conceived all these people? Have I begotten them, that thou should say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child, unto the land which thou hast sworn unto their fathers?

Did I give birth to all these people? Did I bring them out, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them close to your heart as a nurse carries a nursing baby, to the land You promised their fathers’?

13 W here should I find flesh to give unto all these people? For they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh that we may eat.

Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? They cry in front of me, saying, ‘Give us meat so we may eat!’

14 I am not able to bear all these people alone because it is too heavy for me.

I am not able to carry all these people alone. The load is too heavy for me.

15 A nd if thou must deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found grace in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

So if You are going to act this way toward me, I beg You to kill me now, if I have found favor in Your eyes. Do not let me see how bad off I am.” The Seventy Leaders

16 ¶ Then the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be elders of the people, and their princes; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the testimony that they may stand there with thee.

The Lord said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the leaders of Israel, whom you know to be the leaders of the people, the men who rule over them. Bring them to the meeting tent and let them stand there with you.

17 A nd I will come down and talk with thee there, and I will take of the spirit which is in thee and will put it upon them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

Then I will come down and speak with you there. I will take of the Spirit Who is upon you, and will put Him upon them. Then they will carry the troubles of the people with you so you will not carry them all alone.

18 B ut thou shalt say unto the people, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh, for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was better with us in Egypt. Therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

Say to the people, ‘Make yourselves holy for tomorrow, and you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you cried and said, “If only someone would give us meat to eat! For it was well with us in Egypt.” So the Lord will give you meat and you will eat.

19 Y e shall not eat one day nor two days nor five days neither ten days nor twenty days,

You will not eat it for only one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days.

20 B ut even a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and it becomes loathsome unto you, because ye have despised the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, Why have we come forth out of Egypt?

But you will eat it a whole month, until it comes out of your nose and you hate it, because you have turned away from the Lord Who is among you. You have cried before Him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”

21 T hen Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen, and thou hast said, I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month!

But Moses said, “The people whom I am among are 600, 000 on foot. And You have said, ‘I will give them meat so they may eat for a whole month.’

22 S hall sheep and oxen be slain for them, to suffice them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

Will enough flocks and cattle be killed to feed them? Or will enough fish be gathered from the sea to feed them?”

23 T hen the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’s hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

The Lord said to Moses, “Is there an end to the Lord’s power? Now you will see if My Word will come true for you or not.”

24 ¶ And Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and set them round about the tabernacle.

So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men from the leaders of the people, and had them stand around the meeting tent.

25 T hen the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke unto him and took of the spirit that was in him and gave it unto the seventy elders, and it came to pass that when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied and did not cease.

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took of the Spirit Who was upon him and put Him upon the seventy leaders. When the Spirit rested upon them, they spoke the word of the Lord. But they did not do it again.

26 B ut there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad, upon whom the spirit also rested; and they were of those that were written, but they had not gone unto the tabernacle; and they began to prophesy in the camp.

But two men had stayed among the tents. Their names were Eldad and Medad, and the Spirit rested upon them. They were among those who had been chosen, but had not gone out to the meeting tent. So they spoke the word of the Lord among the tents.

27 A nd a young man ran and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp.

A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are speaking the word of the Lord among the tents.”

28 T hen Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

Then Joshua the son of Nun, the helper of Moses since he was young, said, “Moses, my lord, do not let them.”

29 A nd Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? It would be good that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my good? If only all the Lord’s people would speak for God, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”

30 A nd Moses withdrew into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

Then Moses and the leaders of Israel returned to the tents. The Lord Sends Quails

31 ¶ And there went forth a wind from the LORD and brought quail from the sea and left them upon the camp, a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp and almost two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

Now a wind went out from the Lord. It brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the place where the tents were set up. They fell all around the tents, about as far on each side as it takes to travel in a day. They lay on the ground as deep as two cubits.

32 T hen the people stood up all that day and all that night and all the next day, and they gathered the quail; he that gathered least gathered ten heaps, and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

The people worked all day and all night and all the next day gathering the quail. He who gathered the least gathered enough to fill 110 baskets. And they spread them out for themselves all around the tents.

33 A nd while the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

While the meat was still between their teeth and not yet eaten, the Lord became angry with the people. The Lord sent a bad sickness upon the people.

34 A nd he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah because there they buried the people that lusted.

So the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah. Because there they buried the people who had wanted meat to eat.

35 F rom Kibrothhattaavah he moved the people unto Hazeroth, and they abode at Hazeroth.

The people left Kibroth-hattaavah and went to Hazeroth. And they stayed at Hazeroth.