Numbers 11

1 Meanwhile, there arose a murmur among the people against the Lord, as if they were grief-stricken because of their labors. And when the Lord had heard it, he was angry. And when the fire of the Lord was enflamed against them, it devoured those who were at the extreme end of the camp.

And it came to pass that when the people were giving themselves up to murmuring, it was grievous in the ears of Yahweh, —so Yahweh hearkened, and kindled was his anger, and the fire of Yahweh burned among them, and consumed the uttermost part of the camp.

2 And when the people had cried out to Moses, Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire was consumed.

Then did the people make outcry unto Moses, —and Moses prayed unto Yahweh, and the fire sank down.

3 And he called the name of that place, ‘The Burning,’ because the fire of the Lord had burned against them.

So he called the name of that place, Taberah ["A Burning"] because there burned among them the fire of Yahweh.

4 So then, the mix of common people, who had ascended with them, were enflamed with desire, and sitting and weeping, with the sons of Israel joining them, they said, “Who will give us flesh to eat?

Moreover the mixed multitude that was in their midst concealed not their lusting, —and so even the sons of Israel, fell away and wept, and said: Who will grant us to eat flesh?

5 We remember the fish that we ate freely in Egypt; we call to mind the cucumbers, and melons, and leeks, and onions, and garlic.

We remember the fish that we did eat in Egypt, without money, —the cucumbers, and the water-melons, and the leeks and the onions, and the garlick.

6 Our life is dry; our eyes look out to see nothing but manna.”

But, now, our soul is dried up, there is nothing at all, —unless, unto the manna, [we turn] our eyes.

7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, but with the color of bdellium.

Now, the manna, was like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof like the appearance of bdellium,

8 And the people wandered about, gathering it, and they crushed it with a millstone, or ground it with a mortar; then they boiled it in a pot, and made biscuits out of it, with a taste like bread made with oil.

The people used to go about and pick it up, and grind it with a pair of mill-stones, or pound it in a mortar, and boil it in a pot, and make it into round cakes, —then was the taste thereof like the taste of a sweet cake made with oil.

9 And when the dew descended in the night over the camp, the manna descended together with it.

When the dew came down upon the camp by night, the manna came down thereupon.

10 And so, Moses heard the people weeping by their families, each one at the door of his tent. And the fury of the Lord was greatly enflamed. And to Moses also the matter seemed intolerable.

So then Moses heard the people weeping by their families, every one at the entrance of his tent, —then kindled the anger of Yahweh fiercely, and in the eyes of Moses, it was grievous.

11 And so he said to the Lord: “Why have you afflicted your servant? Why do I not find favor before you? And why have you imposed the weight of this entire people upon me?

And Moses said unto Yahweh—Wherefore hast thou let thy servant come to grief, and wherefore have I not found favour in thine eyes, —that thou shouldest lay the burden of all this people upon me?

12 Could I have conceived this entire multitude, or have given birth to them, so that you might say to me: Carry them in your bosom, as a nursemaid usually carries a little infant, and bring them into the land, about which you have sworn to their fathers?

Did, I, conceive all this people, or, I, beget them, —that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father carrieth a suckling, unto the soil which thou didst swear unto their fathers?

13 From where would I obtain the flesh to give to so great a multitude? They weep against me, saying, ‘Give us flesh, so that we may eat.’

Whence should, I, have flesh to give to all this people, —for they keep weeping by me saying, Oh give us flesh that we may eat!

14 I alone am unable to sustain this entire people, because it is too heavy for me.

Unable, am, I, by myself, to carry all this people, —for they are too heavy for me.

15 But if it seems to you otherwise, I beg you to put me to death, and so may I find grace in your eyes, lest I be afflicted with such evils.”

But if, in this way, thou art going to deal with me, slay me, I beseech thee, slay, if I have found favour in thine eyes, —and let me not see my grief,

16 And the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be elders, as well as teachers, of the people. And you shall lead them to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and you shall cause them to stand there with you,

Then said Yahweh unto Moses—Gather thou unto me seventy men, from among the elders of Israel, of whom thou knowest that they are elders of the people and their overseers, —then shalt thou take them unto the tent of meeting, and they shall station themselves there with thee.

17 so that I may descend and speak to you. And I will take from your spirit, and I will deliver it to them, so that, with you, they may sustain the burden of the people, and so that you will not be weighed down alone.

Then will I come down, and speak with thee there, and will take of the spirit that is upon thee and put upon them, —and they shall carry, with thee, the burden of the people, and, thou, shalt not carry it by thyself.

18 You shall also say to the people: Be sanctified. Tomorrow you will eat flesh. For I have heard you say: ‘Who will give us flesh to eat? It was well with us in Egypt.’ So then, may the Lord give you flesh. And you will eat,

And, unto the people, shalt thou say: Hallow yourselves by to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh, for ye have wept in the ears of Yahweh saying—Who will grant us to eat flesh? for it was well with us in Egypt, —so then Yahweh will give you flesh and ye shall eat.

19 not for one day, nor for two, nor for five, nor for ten, nor even for twenty,

Not one day, shall ye eat nor two days, —nor five days nor ten days, nor twenty days:

20 but for up to a month of days, until it exits from your nostrils, and until it turns into nausea for you, because you have slipped away from the Lord, who is in your midst, and because you have wept before him, saying: ‘Why did we go forth out of Egypt?’”

for a month of days until it cometh forth out of your nostrils, so shall it become to you a loathsome thing, —because ye have refused Yahweh who is in your midst, and have wept before him, saying, Wherefore now came we forth out of Egypt?

21 And Moses said: “There are six hundred thousand footmen of this people, and yet you say, ‘I will give them flesh to eat for a whole month.’

And Moses said, Six hundred thousand footmen, are the people in whose midst am, I, yet thou hast said—Flesh, will I give unto them, and they shall eat for a month of days.

22 Could a multitude of sheep and oxen be slain, so that there would be enough food? Or will the fishes of the sea be gathered together, in order to satisfy them?”

Shall the flocks and herds, be slaughtered for them, that it may suffice for them? Shall all the fishes of the sea, be gathered together unto them that it may suffice for them?

23 And the Lord answered him: “Can the hand of the Lord be ineffective? Soon now, you shall see whether my word will be fulfilled in this work.”

Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Shall the hand of Yahweh, fail? Now, shalt thou see whether my word come to pass unto thee or not.

24 And so, Moses went and explained the words of the Lord to the people. Gathering together seventy men from the elders of Israel, he caused them to stand around the tabernacle.

And Moses went forth and spake unto the people the words of Yahweh, —and gathered together seventy men from among the elders of the people, and caused them to stand round about the tent.

25 And the Lord descended in a cloud, and he spoke to him, taking from the Spirit which was in Moses, and giving to the seventy men. And when the Spirit had rested in them, they prophesied; nor did they cease afterwards.

Then Yahweh came down, in the cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave unto the seventy men—the elders. And it came to pass that when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and then did so no more.

26 Now there had remained in the camp two of the men, of whom one was called Eldad, and the other Medad, upon whom the Spirit rested; for they also had been enrolled, but they did not go forth to the tabernacle.

Now there were two men left behind in the camp—the name of the one, was Eldad and the name of the other, Medad, so then the spirit, rested on them—they, being among them who were written, though they had not gone forth unto the tent, —but they prophesied in the camp.

27 And when they were prophesying in the camp, a boy ran and reported to Moses, saying: “Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp.”

And there ran a young man, and told Moses and said, —Eldad and Medad, are prophesying in the camp!

28 Promptly, Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses and chosen from many, said: “My lord Moses, prohibit them.”

Then responded Joshua son of Nun the attendant of Moses from his youth, and said, —My lord Moses forbid them!

29 But he said, “Why are you jealous on my behalf? Who decides that any of the people may prophesy and that God may give to them his Spirit?”

But Moses said unto him, Art, thou, jealous for, me? Oh would that, all the people of Yahweh, were prophets! Yea let Yahweh put his spirit upon them!

30 And Moses returned, with those greater by birth of Israel, into the camp.

Then was Moses received back into the camp, —he and the elders of Israel.

31 Then a wind, going out from the Lord and moving forcefully across the sea, brought quails and cast them into the camp, across a distance of one day’s journey, in every part of the camp all around, and they flew in the air two cubits high above the ground.

Now, a wind, had sprung up, from Yahweh, and cut off quails from the sea, and let them lie over the camp—as it were a days journey here and a days journey there, round about the camp, —and as it were two cubits on the face of the land.

32 Therefore, the people, rising up, gathered quails all that day and night, and the next day; he who did least well gathered ten homers. And they dried them throughout the camp.

And the people rose up all that day and all the night and all the next day, and gathered the quails, he that did least, gathered ten homers, —and they spread them out for themselves spreading away, round about the camp.

33 The flesh was still between their teeth, neither had this kind of food ceased, and behold, the fury of the Lord was provoked against the people, and he struck them with an exceedingly great scourge.

The flesh, was yet between their teeth, not yet chewed, —when the anger of Yahweh, had kindled upon the people, and Yahweh smote the people, with an exceeding great plague.

34 And that place was called, ‘The Graves of Lust.’ For there, they buried the people who had desired.

And the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah—because there, they buried the people who had lusted,

35 Then, departing from the Graves of Lust, they arrived in Hazeroth, and they stayed there.

From Kibroth-hattaavah, the people set forward to Hazeroth, —and they remained in Hazeroth.