Numbers 11

1 It wasn't long before the people started to complain about how much they were suffering. When the Lord heard what they were saying, he became angry. Fire from the Lord burned them, destroying some on the edge of the camp.

And the people were as murmurers, [speaking] evil in the ears of the LORD: and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp.

2 The people cried to Moses for help. He prayed to the Lord and the fire subsided.

And the people cried unto Moses; and Moses prayed unto the LORD, and the fire abated.

3 So that place was named Taberah, because the fire from the Lord burned them.

And the name of that place was called Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

4 A group of troublemakers among them had such intense food cravings they affected the Israelites who started crying again, asking “Who's going to get us some meat to eat?

And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

5 We think back to all the fish we ate in Egypt that didn't cost us anything, as well as the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt for nought; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

6 We're fading away here! The only thing we ever see is this manna!”

but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all: we have nought save this manna to look to.

7 Manna looked like coriander seeds, light in color like gum resin.

And the manna was like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof as the appearance of bdellium.

8 The people would go out and collect it, grind it up in a mill or crush it in a mortar. Then they would boil it in a pot and make it into flatbread. It tasted like pastries made with the best olive oil.

The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and seethed it in pots, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

9 When the dew came down on the camp at night the manna would come down with it.

And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

10 Moses heard all the families crying at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became very angry, and Moses was also upset.

And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; and Moses was displeased.

11 He asked the Lord, “Why have you made things so tough for me, your servant? Why are you so unhappy with me that you have placed on me the heavy responsibility for all these people?

And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou evil entreated thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

12 Are they my children? Did I give birth to them, so you could tell me, ‘Hold them close to your chest like a nurse carrying a baby’ and take them to the land you promised to give to their forefathers?

Have I conceived all this people? have I brought them forth, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing-father carrieth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

13 Where am I supposed to get meat for all of them? They keep on complaining to me, ‘Get us some meat to eat!’

Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.

14 I can't go on carrying all these people by myself—it's just too much.

I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

15 If this is the way you're going to treat me, then please just kill me now so I don't have to face how depressed I've become. Please grant me this one request.”

And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

16 The Lord told Moses, “Bring before me seventy Israelite elders who you know are repected as leaders by the people Take them to the Tent of Meeting. They will stand there with you.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with thee.

17 I will come down and talk with you there. I will take some of the Spirit you have and give it to them. They will take some of the responsibility for the people so you won't have to bear it alone.

And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

18 Tell the people: Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you'll have meat to eat, because you were complaining and the Lord heard you saying, ‘Who's going to get us some meat to eat? We were better off in Egypt!’ So the Lord is going to provide you with meat to eat.

And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

19 You're going to eat it, not for just a day or two, and not for five or ten or twenty days.

Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

20 You're going to eat it for a whole month until it makes you vomit and it comes out through your nostrils, because you have rejected the Lord who is right here with you, complaining to him by saying, ‘Why on earth did we ever leave Egypt?’”

but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have rejected the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

21 But Moses replied, “Here I am with 600,000 people and you're telling me, ‘I'm going to give them meat and they'll eat it for a month’?

And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.

22 Even if all our flocks and herds were slaughtered, would that be enough for them? Even if all the fish in the sea were caught, would that be enough for them?”

Shall flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

23 “Doesn't the Lord have the power to do that?” the Lord responded. “Now you're going to find out whether what I've said will happen or not!”

And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’S hand waxed short? now shalt thou see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

24 Moses went and shared with the people what the Lord said. He summoned seventy elders of the people and had them stand around the tent.

And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD: and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tent.

25 Then the Lord came down and talked to him. The Lord took some of the Spirit Moses had and gave it to them. They prophesied, but this didn't ever happen again.

And the LORD came down in the cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, but they did so no more.

26 However, two men named Eldad and Medad had stayed behind in the camp. The Spirit came on them too. (They had been put on the list of the seventy elders, but they hadn't gone to the tent. But they prophesied where they were in the camp anyway.)

But there remained two men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but had not gone out unto the Tent: and they prophesied in the camp.

27 A young lad ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

28 Joshua, son of Nun, who had been Moses' assistant since he was young, reacted, saying, “Moses, my lord, you have to stop them!”

And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

29 “Are you jealous for my reputation?” Moses replied. “I wish that every one of the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would give his Spirit to all of them!”

And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

30 Then Moses went back to the camp with the elders of Israel.

And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

31 The Lord sent a wind that blew quail in from the sea and deposited them near the camp. They covered the ground to a depth of about two cubits and extended for a day's journey in every direction from the camp.

And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth.

32 All through that day and night, and all through the next day, the people went on collecting the quail. Everyone collected at least ten homers, and they spread them out to dry all around 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 gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

33 But while the people were still biting into the meat, before they even chewed it down, the Lord showed his burning anger against them, killing some of them with a severe disease.

While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

34 They named that place Kibroth-hattaavah, because that was where they buried the people who had these intense food cravings.

And the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

35 Then they moved on from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth, where they stayed for some time.

From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed unto Hazeroth; and they abode at Hazeroth.