Liber Numeri 11

1 Interea ortum est murmur populi, quasi dolentium pro labore, contra Dominum. Quod cum audisset Dominus, iratus est. Et accensus in eos ignis Domini, devoravit extremam castrorum partem.

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.

2 Cumque clamasset populus ad Moysen, oravit Moyses ad Dominum, et absorptus est ignis.

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

3 Vocavitque nomen loci illius, Incensio: eo quod incensus fuisset contra eos ignis Domini.

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

4 Vulgus quippe promiscuum, quod ascenderat cum eis, flagravit desiderio, sedens et flens, junctis sibi pariter filiis Israël, et ait: Quis dabit nobis ad vescendum carnes?

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?

5 recordamur piscium quos comedebamus in Ægypto gratis: in mentem nobis veniunt cucumeres, et pepones, porrique, et cæpe, et allia.

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;

6 Anima nostra arida est: nihil aliud respiciunt oculi nostri nisi man.

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

7 Erat autem man quasi semen coriandri, coloris bdellii.

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

8 Circuibatque populus, et colligens illud, frangebat mola, sive terebat in mortario, coquens in olla, et faciens ex eo tortulas saporis quasi panis oleati.

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.

9 Cumque descenderet nocte super castra ros, descendebat pariter et man.

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

10 Audivit ergo Moyses flentem populum per familias, singulos per ostia tentorii sui. Iratusque est furor Domini valde: sed et Moysi intoleranda res visa est,

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.

11 et ait ad Dominum: Cur afflixisti servum tuum? quare non invenio gratiam coram te? et cur imposuisti pondus universi populi hujus super me?

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?

12 Numquid ego concepi omnem hanc multitudinem, vel genui eam, ut dicas mihi: Porta eos in sinu tuo sicut portare solet nutrix infantulum, et defer in terram, pro qua jurasti patribus eorum?

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?

13 Unde mihi carnes ut dem tantæ multitudini? flent contra me, dicentes: Da nobis carnes ut comedamus.

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

14 Non possum solus sustinere omnem hunc populum, quia gravis est mihi.

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

15 Sin aliter tibi videtur, obsecro ut interficias me, et inveniam gratiam in oculis tuis, ne tantis afficiar malis.

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.

16 Et dixit Dominus ad Moysen: Congrega mihi septuaginta viros de senibus Israël, quos tu nosti quod senes populi sint ac magistri: et duces eos ad ostium tabernaculi fœderis, faciesque ibi stare tecum,

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.

17 ut descendam et loquar tibi: et auferam de spiritu tuo, tradamque eis, ut sustentent tecum onus populi, et non tu solus graveris.

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.

18 Populo quoque dices: Sanctificamini (cras comedetis carnes: ego enim audivi vos dicere: Quis dabit nobis escas carnium? bene nobis erat in Ægypto), ut det vobis Dominus carnes, et comedatis:

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.

19 non uno die, nec duobus, vel quinque aut decem, nec viginti quidem,

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

20 sed usque ad mensem dierum, donec exeat per nares vestras, et vertatur in nauseam, eo quod repuleritis Dominum, qui in medio vestri est, et fleveritis coram eo, dicentes: Quare egressi sumus ex Ægypto?

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?

21 Et ait Moyses: Sexcenta millia peditum hujus populi sunt: et tu dicis: Dabo eis esum carnium mense integro?

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.

22 numquid ovium et boum multitudo cædetur, ut possit sufficere ad cibum? vel omnes pisces maris in unum congregabuntur, ut eos satient?

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?

23 Cui respondit Dominus: Numquid manus Domini invalida est? jam nunc videbis utrum meus sermo opere compleatur.

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.

24 Venit igitur Moyses, et narravit populo verba Domini, congregans septuaginta viros de senibus Israël, quos stare fecit circa tabernaculum.

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.

25 Descenditque Dominus per nubem, et locutus est ad eum, auferens de spiritu qui erat in Moyse, et dans septuaginta viris. Cumque requievisset in eis spiritus, prophetaverunt, nec ultra cessaverunt.

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.

26 Remanserat autem in castris duo viri, quorum unus vocabatur Eldad, et alter Medad, super quos requievit spiritus. Nam et ipsi descripti fuerant, et non exierant ad tabernaculum.

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.

27 Cumque prophetarent in castris, cucurrit puer, et nuntiavit Moysi, dicens: Eldad et Medad prophetant in castris.

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

28 Statim Josue filius Nun, minister Moysi, et electus e pluribus, ait: Domine mi Moyses, prohibe eos.

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

29 At ille: Quid, inquit æmularis pro me? quis tribuat ut omnis populus prophetet, et det eis Dominus spiritum suum?

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!

30 Reversusque est Moyses, et majores natu Israël in castra.

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

31 Ventus autem egrediens a Domino, arreptans trans mare coturnices detulit, et demisit in castra itinere quantum uno die confici potest, ex omni parte castrorum per circuitum, volabantque in aëre duobus cubitis altitudine super terram.

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.

32 Surgens ergo populus toto die illo, et nocte, ac die altero, congregavit coturnicum: qui parum, decem coros: et siccaverunt eas per gyrum castrorum.

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.

33 Adhuc carnes erant in dentibus eorum, nec defecerat hujuscemodi cibus: et ecce furor Domini concitatus in populum, percussit eum plaga magna nimis.

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.

34 Vocatusque est ille locus, Sepulchra concupiscentiæ: ibi enim sepelierunt populum qui desideraverat.

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

35 Egressi autem de Sepulchris concupiscentiæ, venerunt in Haseroth, et manserunt ibi.

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