Liber Numeri 11

1 interea ortum est murmur populi quasi dolentium pro labore contra Dominum quod cum audisset iratus est et accensus in eos ignis Domini devoravit extremam castrorum partem

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 cumque clamasset populus ad Mosen oravit Moses Dominum et absortus est ignis

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

3 vocavitque nomen loci illius Incensio eo quod succensus fuisset contra eos ignis Domini

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

4 vulgus quippe promiscuum quod ascenderat cum eis flagravit desiderio sedens et flens iunctis sibi pariter filiis Israhel et ait quis dabit nobis ad vescendum carnes

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 recordamur piscium quos comedebamus in Aegypto gratis in mentem nobis veniunt cucumeres et pepones porrique et cepae et alia

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 anima nostra arida est nihil aliud respiciunt oculi nostri nisi man

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

7 erat autem man quasi semen coriandri coloris bdellii

Now, the manna, was like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof like the appearance 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 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 cumque descenderet nocte super castra ros descendebat pariter et man

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

10 audivit ergo Moses flentem populum per familias singulos per ostia tentorii sui iratusque est furor Domini valde sed et Mosi intoleranda res visa est

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 et ait ad Dominum cur adflixisti servum tuum quare non invenio gratiam coram te et cur inposuisti pondus universi populi huius super 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 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

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 unde mihi carnes ut dem tantae multitudini flent contra me dicentes da nobis carnes ut comedamus

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 non possum solus sustinere omnem hunc populum quia gravis mihi est

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

15 sin aliter tibi videtur obsecro ut interficias me et inveniam gratiam in oculis tuis ne tantis adficiar malis

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 et dixit Dominus ad Mosen congrega mihi septuaginta viros de senibus Israhel quos tu nosti quod senes populi sint ac magistri et duces eos ad ostium tabernaculi foederis faciesque ibi stare tecum

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

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 populo quoque dices sanctificamini cras comedetis carnes ego enim audivi vos dicere quis dabit nobis escas carnium bene nobis erat in Aegypto ut det vobis Dominus carnes et comedatis

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 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 nausiam eo quod reppuleritis Dominum qui in medio vestri est et fleveritis coram eo dicentes quare egressi sumus ex Aegypto

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 et ait Moses sescenta milia peditum huius populi sunt et tu dicis dabo eis esum carnium mense integro

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 numquid ovium et boum multitudo caedetur ut possit sufficere ad cibum vel omnes pisces maris in unum congregabuntur ut eos satient

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 cui respondit Dominus numquid manus Domini invalida est iam nunc videbis utrum meus sermo opere conpleatur

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 venit igitur Moses et narravit populo verba Domini congregans septuaginta viros de senibus Israhel quos stare fecit circa tabernaculum

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 descenditque Dominus per nubem et locutus est ad eum auferens de spiritu qui erat in Mosen et dans septuaginta viris cumque requievisset in eis spiritus prophetaverunt nec ultra cessarunt

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 remanserant autem in castris duo viri quorum unus vocabatur Heldad et alter Medad super quos requievit spiritus nam et ipsi descripti fuerant et non exierant ad tabernaculum

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 cumque prophetarent in castris cucurrit puer et nuntiavit Mosi dicens Heldad et Medad prophetant in castris

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

28 statim Iosue filius Nun minister Mosi et electus e pluribus ait domine mi Moses prohibe eos

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

29 at ille quid inquit aemularis pro me quis tribuat ut omnis populus prophetet et det eis Dominus spiritum suum

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 reversusque est Moses et maiores natu Israhel in castra

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

31 ventus autem egrediens a Domino arreptas trans mare coturnices detulit et dimisit in castra itinere quantum uno die confici potest ex omni parte castrorum per circuitum volabantque in aere duobus cubitis altitudine super terram

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 surgens ergo populus toto die illo et nocte ac die altero congregavit coturnicum qui parum decem choros et siccaverunt eas per gyrum castrorum

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 adhuc carnes erant in dentibus eorum nec defecerat huiuscemodi cibus et ecce furor Domini concitatus in populum percussit eum plaga magna nimis

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 vocatusque est ille locus sepulchra Concupiscentiae ibi enim sepelierunt populum qui desideraverat

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

35 egressi autem de sepulchris Concupiscentiae venerunt in Aseroth et manserunt ibi

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