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 the people are evil, as those sighing habitually in the ears of YHWH, and YHWH hears, and His anger burns, and the fire of YHWH burns among them, and consumes in the extremity of the camp.

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

And the people cry to Moses, and Moses prays to YHWH, and the fire is quenched;

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

and he calls the name of that place Taberah, for the fire of YHWH has “burned” among them.

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

And the rabble who [are] in its midst have lusted greatly, and the sons of Israel also turn back and weep, and say, “Who gives us flesh?

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

We have remembered the fish which we eat in Egypt for nothing, 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.

and now our soul [is] dry, there is not anything, except the manna, before our eyes.”

7 Erat autem Man quasi semen coriandri, coloris bdellii.

And the manna is as coriander seed, and its aspect as the aspect of 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 have turned aside and gathered [it], and ground [it] with millstones, or beat [it] in a mortar, and boiled [it] in a pan, and made it cakes, and its taste has been as the taste of the moisture of oil.

9 Cumque descederet nocte super castra ros, descendebat pariter et Man.

And in the descending of the dew on the camp by night, the manna descends on 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 hears the people weeping by its families, each at the opening of his tent, and the anger of YHWH burns exceedingly, and in the eyes of Moses [it is] evil.

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

And Moses says to YHWH, “Why have You done evil to Your servant? And why have I not found grace in Your eyes—to put the burden of all this people on 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 iurasti patribus eorum?

I—have I conceived all this people? I—have I begotten it, that You say to me, Carry it in your bosom, as the one supporting carries the nursing suckling, to the ground which You have sworn to its fathers?

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

From where do I have flesh to give to all this people? For they weep to me, saying, Give flesh to us, and we eat.

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

I am not able—I alone—to bear all this people, for [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 thus You are doing to me—please slay me; slay, if I have found grace in your eyes, and do not let me look on my affliction.”

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

And YHWH says to Moses, “Gather to Me seventy men from [the] elderly of Israel, whom you have known that they are [the] elderly of the people, and its authorities; and you have taken them to the Tent of Meeting, and they have stationed themselves there with you,

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 have come down and spoken with you there, and have kept back of the Spirit which [is] on you, and have put [that One] on them, and they have borne some of the burden of the people with you, and you do not bear [it] 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 you say to the people: Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and you have eaten flesh, for you have wept in the ears of YHWH, saying, Who gives us flesh? For we [had] good in Egypt; and YHWH has given flesh to you, and you have eaten.

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

You do not eat one day, 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 replueritis Dominum, qui in medio vestri est, et fleveritis coram eo, dicentes: Quare egressi sumus ex Ægypto?

[but] even to a month of days, until it comes out from your nostrils, and it has become an abomination to you, because that you have loathed YHWH, who [is] in your midst, and weep before Him, saying, Why is this [that] we have come out of Egypt!”

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

And Moses says, “Six hundred thousand footmen [are] the people in whose midst I [dwell]; and You, You have said, I give flesh to them, and they have eaten [for] a month of days!

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

Is flock and herd slaughtered for them, that one has found [enough] for them? Are all the fishes of the sea gathered for them, that one has found [enough] for them?”

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

And YHWH says to Moses, “Has the hand of YHWH become short? Now you see whether My word meets you or not.”

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

And Moses goes out, and speaks the words of YHWH to the people, and gathers seventy men from [the] elderly of the people, and causes them to stand around the tent,

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 YHWH comes down in the cloud, and speaks to him, and keeps back of the Spirit which [is] on him, and puts [that One] on the seventy elderly men; and it comes to pass at the resting of the Spirit on them, that they prophesy, and they have never done [so] again.

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 two of the men are left in the camp, the name of the first [is] Eldad and the name of the second Medad, and the spirit rests on them (and they are among those written, but they have not gone out to the tent), and they prophesy in the camp;

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

and the young man runs, and declares [it] to Moses, and says, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

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

And Joshua son of Nun, minister of Moses, [one] of his young men, answers and says, “My lord Moses, restrain them.”

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

And Moses says to him, “Are you zealous for me? O that all YHWH’s people were prophets! That YHWH would put His Spirit on them!”

30 Reversusque est Moyses, et maiores natu Israel in castra.

And Moses is gathered to the camp, he and [the] elderly 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 aere duobus cubitis altitudine super terram.

And a spirit has journeyed from YHWH, and cuts off quails from the sea, and leaves [them] by the camp, as a day’s journey here and as a day’s journey there, around the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the land.

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 rise all that day, and all the night, and all the day after, and gather the quails—he who has least has gathered ten homers—and they spread them out for themselves around the camp.

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

The flesh is yet between their teeth—it is not yet cut off—and the anger of YHWH has burned among the people, and YHWH strikes [with] a very great striking among the people;

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

and [one] calls the name of that place Kibroth-Hattaavah, for there they have buried the people who lust.

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

From Kibroth-Hattaavah the people have journeyed to Hazeroth, and they are in Hazeroth.