Numbers

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

3 So he called the name of that place Taberah [i.e. “A Burning”],—because there burned among them the fire of Yahweh.

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

7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof like the appearance of bdellium.

8 The people used to go about and pick it up and grind it with a pair of millstones, 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 When the dew came down upon the camp by night, the manna came down thereupon.

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

15 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 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 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 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 Not one day shall ye eat, nor two days,—nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days:

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

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

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

31 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 day’s journey here, and a day’s journey there, round about the camp,—and as it were two cubits on the face of the land.

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

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