1 N ow the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.

Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.

2 T he people therefore cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord and the fire died out.

Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched.

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

So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.

4 T he rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, “ Who will give us meat to eat?

Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?

5 W e 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,

We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;

6 b ut now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.”

but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

7 N ow the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.

Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.

8 T he people would go about and gather it and grind it between two millstones or beat it in the mortar, and boil it in the pot and make cakes with it; and its taste was as the taste of cakes baked with oil.

The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil.

9 W hen the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it. The Complaint of Moses

And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.

10 N ow Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased.

Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased.

11 S o Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me?

So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me?

12 W as it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers’?

Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers?

13 W here am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’

Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’

14 I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me.

I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.

15 S o 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.” Seventy Elders to Assist

If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!” The Seventy Elders

16 T he Lord 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 bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you.

So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.

17 T hen I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone.

Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.

18 S ay to the people, ‘ Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, “Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat and you shall eat.

Then you shall say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat.

19 Y ou shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,

You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,

20 b ut a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”

but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?”’”

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

And Moses said, “The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’

22 S hould 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?”

Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?”

23 T he Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.”

And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord ’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.”

24 S o Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. Also, he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and stationed them around the tent.

So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle.

25 T hen the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took of the Spirit who was upon him and placed Him upon the seventy elders. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do it again.

Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.

26 B ut two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the 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.

But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp.

27 S o a young man ran and told Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

28 T hen Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said, “ Moses, my lord, restrain them.”

So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!”

29 B ut Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”

Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord ’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”

30 T hen Moses returned to the camp, both he and the elders of Israel. The Quail and the Plague

And Moses returned to the camp, he and the elders of Israel. The Lord Sends Quail

31 N ow there went forth a wind from the Lord and it brought quail from the sea, and let them fall 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 about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground.

Now a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground.

32 T he people spent all day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers) and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.

And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.

33 W hile the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague.

But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague.

34 S o the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy.

So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving.

35 F rom Kibroth-hattaavah the people set out for Hazeroth, and they remained at Hazeroth.

From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, and camped at Hazeroth.