1 Now the people became like ANum 14:2; 16:11; 17:5those who complain of adversity BNum 11:18; 14:28in the hearing of the Loʀᴅ; and when the Loʀᴅ heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Loʀᴅ burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 ANum 12:11, 13; 21:7The people therefore cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Loʀᴅ and the fire 1Lit sank downdied out. 3 So the name of that place was called 1I.e. burningADeut 9:22Taberah, because the fire of the Loʀᴅ burned among them.

4 The AEx 12:38; 1 Cor 10:6rabble who were among them 1Lit desired a desirehad greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, “BPs 78:20Who will give us 2Lit flesh, and so throughout the chmeat to eat? 5  “AEx 16:3We 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, 6 but now ANum 21:5our 1Lit soul is dried upappetite is gone. There is nothing at all 2Lit for our eyesto look at except this manna.”

7 AEx 16:31Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of BGen 2:12bdellium. 8 The people would go about and gather it and grind it 1Lit withbetween 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 2Lit juice of oilcakes baked with oil. 9 AEx 16:13, 14When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall 1Lit onwith it.

10 Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the Loʀᴅ was kindled greatly, and 1Lit it was evil in Moses’ sightMoses was displeased. 11 AEx 5:22; Deut 1:12So Moses said to the Loʀᴅ, “Why have You 1Lit dealt ill withbeen 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? 12  “Was 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 1Or foster-fatherA2 Kin 10:1, 5; Is 49:23nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which BGen 24:7; Ex 13:5, 11; 33:1You swore to their fathers’? 13  “Where am I to get meat to give to ANum 11:21, 22; John 6:5-9all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’ 14  “AEx 18:18; Deut 1:12I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too 1Lit heavyburdensome for me. 15  “AEx 32:32So 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.”

16 The Loʀᴅ therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me AEx 24:1, 9seventy men from the elders of Israel, BEx 18:25whom 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. 17  “ANum 11:25Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of B1 Sam 10:6; Joel 2:28the 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. 18  “Say to the people, ‘AEx 19:10, 22Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept BNum 11:1in the ears of the Loʀᴅ, saying, “Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt.” Therefore the Loʀᴅ will give you meat and you shall eat. 19  ‘You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, 20 1Lit untilbut a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because AJosh 24:27; 1 Sam 10:19you have rejected the Loʀᴅ who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ’ ” 21 But 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.’ 22  “Should 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?” 23 The Loʀᴅ said to Moses, “Is AIs 50:2; 59:1the Loʀᴅ’s 1Lit hand shortpower limited? Now you shall see whether BEzek 12:25; 24:14My word will 2Lit befall youcome true for you or not.”

24 So Moses went out and ANum 11:16told the people the words of the Loʀᴅ. Also, he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and stationed them around the tent. 25 ANum 11:17; 12:5Then the Loʀᴅ 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.

26 But two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the 1Lit secondother Medad. And ANum 24:2; 1 Sam 10:6; 2 Chr 15:1; Neh 9:30the 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. 27 So a young man ran and told Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 Then AEx 33:11; Josh 1:1Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said, “BMark 9:38-40Moses, my lord, restrain them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? A1 Cor 14:5Would that all the Loʀᴅ’s people were prophets, that the Loʀᴅ would put His Spirit upon them!” 30 Then Moses 1Lit removed himselfreturned to the camp, both he and the elders of Israel.

31 AEx 16:13; Ps 78:26-28; 105:40Now there went forth a wind from the Loʀᴅ 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 1Or from about two cubits aboveabout two 2I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.cubits deep on the surface of the ground. 32 The people 1Lit rosespent all day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten 2I.e. One homer equals approx 11 buAEzek 45:11homers) and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 APs 78:29-31; 106:15While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Loʀᴅ was kindled against the people, and the Loʀᴅ struck the people with a very severe plague. 34 So the name of that place was called 1I.e. the graves of greedinessADeut 9:22Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy. 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah ANum 33:17the people set out for Hazeroth, and they 1Lit wereremained at Hazeroth.