The Israelites Complain
1 One day the Israelites started complaining about their troubles. The Lord heard them and became so angry that he destroyed the outer edges of their camp with fire.
2 When the people begged Moses to help, he prayed, and the fire went out. 3 They named the place “Burning,” because in his anger the Lord had set their camp on fire.
The People Grumble about Being Hungry
4 One day some foreigners among the Israelites became greedy for food, and even the Israelites themselves began moaning, “We don't have any meat! 5 In Egypt we could eat all the fish we wanted, and there were cucumbers, melons, all kinds of onions, and garlic. 6 But we're starving out here, and the only food we have is this manna.”
7 The manna was like small whitish seeds 8-9 and tasted like something baked with sweet olive oil. It appeared at night with the dew. In the morning the people would collect the manna, grind or crush it into flour, then boil it and make it into thin wafers.
10 The Israelites stood around their tents complaining. Moses heard them and was upset that they had made the Lord angry. 11 He prayed:
I am your servant, Lord, so why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this? You've made me responsible for all these people, 12 but they're not my children. You told me to nurse them along and to carry them to the land you promised their ancestors. 13 They keep whining for meat, but where can I get meat for them? 14 This job is too much for me. How can I take care of all these people by myself? 15 If this is the way you're going to treat me, just kill me now and end my miserable life!
Seventy Leaders Are Chosen To Help Moses
16 The Lord said to Moses:
Choose 70 of Israel's respected leaders and go with them to the sacred tent. 17 While I am talking with you there, I will give them some of your authority, so they can share responsibility for my people. You will no longer have to care for them by yourself.
18 As for the Israelites, I have heard them complaining about not having meat and about being better off in Egypt. So tell them to make themselves acceptable to me, because tomorrow they will have meat. 19-20 In fact, they will have meat day after day for a whole month—not just a few days, or even 10 or 20. They turned against me and wanted to go back to Egypt. Now they will eat meat until they get sick of it.
21 Moses replied, “At least 600,000 grown men are here with me. How can you say there will be enough meat to feed them and their families for a whole month? 22 Even if we butchered all our sheep and cattle, or caught every fish in the sea, we wouldn't have enough to feed them.”
23 The Lord answered, “I can do anything! Watch and you'll see my words come true.”
24 Moses told the people what the Lord had said. Then he chose 70 respected leaders and went with them to the sacred tent. While the leaders stood in a circle around the tent, Moses went inside, 25 and the Lord spoke with him. Then the Lord took some authority from Moses and gave it to the 70 leaders. And when the Lord's Spirit took control of them, they started shouting like prophets. But they did it only this one time.
26 Eldad and Medad were two leaders who had not gone to the tent. But when the Spirit took control of them, they began shouting like prophets right there in camp. 27 A boy ran to Moses and told him about Eldad and Medad.
28 Joshua was there helping Moses, as he had done since he was young. And he said to Moses, “Sir, you must stop them!”
29 But Moses replied, “Are you concerned what this might do to me? I wish the Lord would give his Spirit to all his people so everyone could be a prophet.” 30 Then Moses and the 70 leaders went back to camp.
The Lord Sends Quails
31 Some time later the Lord sent a strong wind that blew quails in from the sea until Israel's camp was completely surrounded with birds, piled up about a meter high for many kilometers in every direction. 32 The people picked up quails for two days—each person filled at least ten large baskets. Then they spread them out to dry. 33 But before the meat could be eaten, the Lord became angry and sent a deadly disease through the camp.
34 After they had buried the people who had been so greedy for meat, they called the place “Graves for the Greedy.”
35 Israel then broke camp and traveled to Hazeroth.
1 When the people became murmurers, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it, therefore his wrath was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed the vtmost parte of the hoste. 2 Then the people cryed vnto Moses: and when Moses praied vnto the Lord, the fire was quenched. 3 And he called the name of that place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burnt among them. 4 And a nomber of people that was amog them, fell a lusting, and turned away, and the children of Israel also wept, and saide, Who shall giue vs flesh to eate? 5 We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt for nought, the cucumbers, and the pepons, and the leekes, and the onions, and the garleke. 6 But now our soule is dryed away, we can see nothing but this Man. 7 (The Man also was as coriander seede, and his colour like the colour of bdelium. 8 The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in milles, or beat it in morters, and baked it in a cauldron, and made cakes of it, and the taste of it was like vnto the taste of fresh oyle. 9 And when the dewe fell downe vpon the hoste in the night, the Man fell with it) 10 Then Moses heard the people weepe throughout their families, euery man in the doore of his tent, and the wrath of the Lord was grieuously kindled: also Moses was grieued. 11 And Moses saide vnto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou vexed thy seruant? and why haue I not found fauour in thy sight, seeing thou hast put the charge of al this people vpon mee? 12 Haue I conceiued al this people? or haue I begotte them, that thou shouldest say vnto me, Cary them in thy bosome (as a nurse beareth the sucking childe) vnto the lande, for the which thou swarest vnto their fathers? 13 Where should I haue flesh to giue vnto al this people? for they weepe vnto me, saying, Giue vs flesh that we may eate. 14 I am not able to beare al this people alone, for it is too heauie for me. 15 Therefore if thou deale thus with mee, I pray thee, if I haue founde fauour in thy sight, kill me, that I behold not my miserie. 16 Then the Lord said vnto Moses, Gather vnto me seuetie men of ye Elders of Israel, whome thou knowest, that they are the Elders of the people, and gouernonrs ouer them, and bring them vnto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and let them stand there with thee, 17 And I will come downe, and talke with thee there, and take of the Spirite, which is vpon thee, and put vpon them, and they shall beare the burthen of the people with thee: so thou shalt not beare it alone. 18 Furthermore thou shalt saye vnto the people, Bee sanctified against to morowe, and yee shall eate flesh: for you haue wept in the eares of the Lord, saying, Who shall giue vs flesh to eate? for we were better in Egypt: therefore the Lord will giue you flesh, and ye shall eate. 19 Ye shall not eat one day nor two daies, nor fiue daies, neither ten daies, nor twentie dayes, 20 But a whole moneth, vntill it come out at your nostrels, and bee lothesome vnto you, because ye haue contemned the Lord, which is among you, and haue wept before him, saying, Why came we hither out of Egypt? 21 And Moses saide, Six hundreth thousande footemen are there of the people, among whom I am: and thou saiest, I will giue them flesh, that they may eate a moneth long. 22 Shall the sheepe and the beeues be slaine for them, to finde them? either shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them? 23 And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Is the Lordes hand shortened? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe vnto thee, or no. 24 So Moses went out, and told the people the wordes of the Lord, and gathered seuentie men of the Elders of the people, and set them round about the Tabernacle. 25 Then the Lord came downe in a cloude, and spake vnto him, and tooke of the Spirit that was vpon him, and put it vpon the seuentie Ancient men: and when the Spirit rested vpon them, then they prophecied, and did not cease. 26 But there remained two of the men in the hoste: the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad, and the Spirit rested vpon them, (for they were of them that were written, and went not out vnto the Tabernacle) and they prophecied in the hoste. 27 Then there ranne a yong man, and tolde Moses, and saide, Eldad and Medad doe prophesie in the hoste. 28 And Ioshua the sonne of Nun the seruant of Moses one of his yong men answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29 But Moses saide vnto him, Enuiest thou for my sake? yea, would God that all the Lordes people were Prophets, and that the Lord woulde put his Spirit vpon them. 30 And Moses returned into the hoste, he and the Elders of Israel. 31 Then there went foorth a winde from the Lord, and brought quailes from the Sea, and let them fall vpon the campe, a dayes iourney on this side, and a dayes iourney on the other side, round about the hoste, and they were about two cubites aboue the earth. 32 Then the people arose, al that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quailes: he that gathered the least, gathered ten Homers full, and they spred them abroade for their vse round about the hoste. 33 While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth, before it was chewed, euen the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with an exceeding great plague. 34 So the name of the place was called, Kibroth-hattaauah: for there they buried the people that fell a lusting. 35 From Kibroth-hattaauah ye people tooke their iourney to Hazeroth, and abode at Hazeroth.