The People Complain

11 And (A)the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, (B)his anger was kindled, and (C)the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Then (D)the people cried out to Moses, (E)and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. So the name of that place was called (F)Taberah,[a] because the fire of the Lord burned among them.

Now the (G)rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also (H)wept again and said, (I)“Oh that we had meat to eat! (J)We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

Now (K)the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. (L)The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. (M)And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. (N)When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

10 Moses heard the people (O)weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11 (P)Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, (Q)‘Carry them in your bosom, as a (R)nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land (S)that you swore to give their fathers? 13 (T)Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 (U)I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

Elders Appointed to Aid Moses

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me (V)seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and (W)officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 (X)And I will come down and talk with you there. And (Y)I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and (Z)they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. 18 And say to the people, (AA)‘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? (AB)For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, (AC)until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, (AD)“Why did we come out of Egypt?”’” 21 But Moses said, (AE)“The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!’ 22 (AF)Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?” 23 And the Lord said to Moses, (AG)“Is the Lord's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether (AH)my word will come true for you or not.”

24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. (AI)And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then (AJ)the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they (AK)had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And (AL)Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, (AM)stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? (AN)Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Quail and a Plague

31 Then a (AO)wind from the Lord sprang up, 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, around the camp, and about two cubits[b] above the ground. 32 And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten (AP)homers.[c] And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 (AQ)While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and (AR)the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. 34 Therefore the name of that place was called (AS)Kibroth-hattaavah,[d] because there they buried the people who had the craving. 35 (AT)From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to (AU)Hazeroth, and they remained at (AV)Hazeroth.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 11:3 Taberah means burning
  2. Numbers 11:31 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  3. Numbers 11:32 A homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters
  4. Numbers 11:34 Kibroth-hattaavah means graves of craving

Fire From the Lord

11 Now the people complained(A) about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord,(B) and when he heard them his anger was aroused.(C) Then fire from the Lord burned among them(D) and consumed(E) some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed(F) to the Lord(G) and the fire died down. So that place was called Taberah,[a](H) because fire from the Lord had burned among them.(I)

Quail From the Lord

The rabble with them began to crave other food,(J) and again the Israelites started wailing(K) and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.(L) But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!(M)

The manna was like coriander seed(N) and looked like resin.(O) The people went around gathering it,(P) and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. When the dew(Q) settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing(R) at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble(S) on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?(T) 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant,(U) to the land you promised on oath(V) to their ancestors?(W) 13 Where can I get meat for all these people?(X) They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.(Y) 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me(Z)—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

16 The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders(AA) who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people.(AB) Have them come to the tent of meeting,(AC) that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you(AD) there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them.(AE) They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.(AF)

18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves(AG) in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed,(AH) “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!”(AI) Now the Lord will give you meat,(AJ) and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it(AK)—because you have rejected the Lord,(AL) who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”(AM)

21 But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men(AN) on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ 22 Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”(AO)

23 The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?(AP) Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.(AQ)

24 So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud(AR) and spoke with him,(AS) and he took some of the power of the Spirit(AT) that was on him and put it on the seventy elders.(AU) When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied(AV)—but did not do so again.

26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them,(AW) and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

28 Joshua son of Nun,(AX) who had been Moses’ aide(AY) since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”(AZ)

29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets(BA) and that the Lord would put his Spirit(BB) on them!”(BC) 30 Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail(BD) in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits[b] deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers.[c] Then they spread them out all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth(BE) and before it could be consumed, the anger(BF) of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.(BG) 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah,[d](BH) because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth(BI) and stayed there.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 11:3 Taberah means burning.
  2. Numbers 11:31 That is, about 3 feet or about 90 centimeters
  3. Numbers 11:32 That is, possibly about 1 3/4 tons or about 1.6 metric tons
  4. Numbers 11:34 Kibroth Hattaavah means graves of craving.