[1] Now the people were saying evil against the Lord; and the Lord, hearing
it, was angry and sent fire on them, burning the outer parts of the
tent-circle. [2] And the people made an outcry to Moses, and Moses made
prayer to the Lord, and the fire was stopped. [3] So that place was named
Taberah, because of the fire of the Lord which had been burning among them.
[4] And the mixed band of people who went with them were overcome by
desire: and the children of Israel, weeping again, said, Who will give us
flesh for our food? [5] Sweet is the memory of the fish we had in Egypt for
nothing, and the fruit and green plants of every sort, sharp and pleasing
to the taste: [6] But now our soul is wasted away; there is nothing at all:
we have nothing but this manna before our eyes. [7] Now the manna was like
a seed of grain, like small clear drops. [8] The people went about taking
it up from the earth, crushing it between stones or hammering it to powder,
and boiling it in pots, and they made cakes of it: its taste was like the
taste of cakes cooked with oil. [9] When the dew came down on the tents at
night, the manna came down with it. [10] And at the sound of the people
weeping, every man at his tent-door, the wrath of the Lord was great, and
Moses was very angry. [11] And Moses said to the Lord, Why have you done me
this evil? and why have I not grace in your eyes, that you have put on me
the care of all this people? [12] Am I the father of all this people? have
I given them birth, that you say to me, Take them in your arms, like a
child at the breast, to the land which you gave by an oath to their
fathers? [13] Where am I to get flesh to give to all this people? For they
are weeping to me and saying, Give us flesh for our food. [14] I am not
able by myself to take the weight of all this people, for it is more than
my strength. [15] If this is to be my fate, put me to death now in answer
to my prayer, if I have grace in your eyes; and let me not see my shame.
[16] And the Lord said to Moses, Send for seventy of the responsible men of
Israel, who are in your opinion men of weight and authority over the
people; make them come to the Tent of meeting and be there with you. [17]
And I will come down and have talk with you there: and I will take some of
the spirit which is on you and put it on them, and they will take part of
the weight of the people off you, so that you do not have to take it by
yourself. [18] And say to the people, Make yourselves clean before tomorrow
and you will have flesh for your food: for in the ears of the Lord you have
been weeping and saying, Who will give us flesh for food? for we were well
off in Egypt: and so the Lord will give you flesh, and it will be your
food; [19] Not for one day only, or even for five or ten or twenty days;
[20] But every day for a month, till you are tired of it, turning from it
in disgust: because you have gone against the Lord who is with you, and
have been weeping before him saying, Why did we come out of Egypt? [21]
Then Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men
on foot; and you have said, I will give them flesh to be their food for a
month. [22] Are flocks and herds to be put to death for them? or are all
the fish in the sea to be got together so that they may be full? [23] And
the Lord said to Moses, Has the Lord's hand become short? Now you will see
if my word comes true for you or not. [24] And Moses went out and gave the
people the words of the Lord: and he took seventy of the responsible men of
the people, placing them round the Tent. [25] Then the Lord came down in
the cloud and had talk with him, and put on the seventy men some of the
spirit which was on him: now when the spirit came to rest on them, they
were like prophets, but only at that time. [26] But two men were still in
the tent-circle one of them named Eldad and the other Medad: and the spirit
came to rest on them; they were among those who had been sent for, but they
had not gone out to the Tent: and the prophet's power came on them in the
tent-circle. [27] And a young man went running to Moses and said, Eldad and
Medad are acting as prophets in the tent-circle. [28] Then Joshua, the son
of Nun, who had been Moses' servant from the time when he was a child,
said, My lord Moses, let them be stopped. [29] And Moses said to him, Are
you moved by envy on my account? If only all the Lord's people were
prophets, and the Lord might put his spirit on them! [30] Then Moses, with
the responsible men of Israel, went back to the tent-circle. [31] Then the
Lord sent a wind, driving little birds from the sea, so that they came down
on the tents, and all round the tent-circle, about a day's journey on this
side and on that, in masses about two cubits high over the face of the
earth. [32] And all that day and all night and the day after, the people
were taking up the birds; the smallest amount which anyone got was ten
homers: and they put them out all round the tents. [33] But while the meat
was still between their teeth, before it was tasted, the wrath of the Lord
was moved against the people and he sent a great outburst of disease on
them. [34] So that place was named Kibroth-hattaavah; because there they
put in the earth the bodies of the people who had given way to their
desires. [35] From Kibroth-hattaavah the people went on to Hazeroth; and
there they put up their tents.
