Numbers 11

1 And it came to pass that as the people complained in a manner displeasing in the ears of the Lord, the Lord heard it, and his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed at the uttermost part of the camp.

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.

2 And the people then cried unto Moses; and Moses prayed unto the Lord, and the fire disappeared.

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

3 And he called the name of the place Tab'erah; because the fire of the Lord had burnt among them.

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

4 And the mixed multitude that was among them felt a lustful longing: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who will give us flesh to eat?

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?

5 We remember the fish, which we could eat in Egypt for naught; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic;

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

6 But now our soul is faint: there is nothing at all, only to the manna are our eyes [directed].

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

7 But the manna was like coriander-seed, and its color as the color of the bdellium.

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

8 The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in a mill, or pounded it in a mortar, and boiled it in a pot, or made cakes of it: and its taste was as the taste of cakes mixed with oil.

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.

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

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

10 And Moses heard the people weep according to their families, every man at the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; and in the eyes of Moses also was it displeasing.

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.

11 And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou done evil to thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy eyes, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

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?

12 Was it I who have conceived all this people? or was it I who have begotten them? that thou shouldst say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou hast sworn unto their fathers?

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?

13 Whence shall I obtain flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep around me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.

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.’

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

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

15 And if thou wilt thus deal with me, then slay me, I pray thee, at once, if I have found favor in thy eyes: that I may not see my wretchedness.

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.”

16 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 its officers; and take them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall stand there with thee.

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,

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

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.

18 And unto the people shalt thou say, Hold yourselves ready against tomorrow, that ye may eat flesh; for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was better with us in Egypt: thus will the Lord give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

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,

19 Not one day shall ye eat, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days;

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

20 But up to a full month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it become loathsome unto you; because that ye have despised the Lord who is in the midst of you, and ye have wept before him, saying, Why did we come forth out of Egypt?

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?’”

21 And Moses said, Six hundred thousand men on foot is the people, in the midst of whom I am; and yet thou hast said, Flesh will I give them, that they may eat a whole month.

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.’

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

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?”

23 And the Lord said unto Moses, Should the Lord's hand be too short? now shalt thou see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

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.”

24 And Moses went out, and spoke to the people the words of the Lord; and he assembled seventy men from the elders of the people, and placed them round about the tabernacle.

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.

25 And the Lord came down in a cloud and spoke unto him; and he took some of the spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the seventy men, the elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, but they did not so any more.

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.

26 And 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 those that were written down, but they had not gone out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

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.

27 And there ran a young man, and told to Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.

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

28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses from his youth, answered and said, My Lord Moses, forbid them.

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

29 And Moses said unto him, Art thou zealous for my sake? And oh that one might render all the people of the Lord prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

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?”

30 And Moses retired back into thy camp, he with the elders of Israel.

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

31 And a wind went forth from the Lord, and drove up quails from the sea, and scattered them over the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and about a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits high over the face of the earth.

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.

32 And the people arose all that day, and all that night, and all the following day, and they gathered the quails; he that had taken the least, had gathered ten chomers: and they spread them out for themselves round about the camp.

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.

33 The flesh was yet between their teeth, it was not yet chewed: when the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote among the people a very great plague.

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.

34 And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah; because there they buried the people that had lustfully craved.

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

35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed unto Chazeroth; and they remained at Chazeroth.

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