The People Complain
1 The people were complaining in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard it, his anger burned, and the Lord’s fire burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 The people cried to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire was quenched. 3 The name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.
4 The rabble among them craved other food, and then also the Israelites. They cried again to Moses and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing: the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite. There is nothing at all except this manna to look at.”
7 The manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like gum resin. 8 The people went around, gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it. Its taste was like the taste of a pastry made with fresh oil. 9 When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
The Complaint of Moses
10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent, and the Lord’s anger burned greatly, and Moses was displeased.
11 Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you have laid the burden of all these people on me? 12 Have I conceived all these people? Have I brought them out, that you should tell me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which you swore to their fathers?’ 13 Where could I get meat to give all these people? For they are weeping to me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 I am not able to bear all these people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15 If you are going to treat me this way, please kill me right now. If I have found favor in your sight, let me not see this misery.”
Seventy Elders to Help Moses
16 The Lord said to Moses, “Gather 70 men among the elders of Israel, who are known as elders and leaders of the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting and have them stand there with you. 17 I will come down and talk with you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you and will put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it alone.”
The People Receive Meat for a Month
18 “Say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying: Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat. 19 You will not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?’ ”
Moses’ Faith Staggered
21 Moses said, “I am among a people with 600,000 foot soldiers, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’ 22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered to satisfy them? Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to satisfy them?”
23 The Lord said to Moses, “Has the hand of the Lord grown short? Now you shall see whether my word to you will come to pass or not.”
24 Moses went out and told the people the Lord’s words, and he gathered 70 elders from among the people and set them around the Tent. 25 The Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took, of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the 70 elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied and did not cease.
26 But two of the men had remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those whose names had been written, but had not gone out to the Tent, and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”
28 Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, “My lord Moses, forbid them!”
29 Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”
30 Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.