 1 The people were evil, as those complaining in the hearing+ of the Lord. And the Lord heard, and His anger was kindled. And the fire of the Lord burned among them and devoured in the outermost parts of the camp. 2 The people cried out to Moses. And when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was put out. 3 He called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them. 4 The mixed multitude in their midst lusted with great lust. And the children of Israel also turned and wept and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our soul is dried away. There is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes. 7 The manna was like coriander seed, and the color of it was like the color of bdellium. 8 The people went around and gathered, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked in pans, and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of fresh oil. 9 When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. 10 Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly. Moses also was displeased. 11 Moses said to the Lord, Why have you afflicted your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, so that you lay the burden of all this people upon me? 12 Have I conceived all this people? Did I bring them forth so that you should say to me, Carry them in your bosom like a nursing father carries the sucking child, to the land which you swore to their fathers? 13 From where should I get flesh to give to all this people? For they weep to me saying, Give us flesh that we may eat. 14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15 If you are going to part this way with me, I beg you to kill me at once. If I have found favor in your sight, do not let me see misery. 16 The Lord said to Moses, Gather to me 70 men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and the officers over them. And bring them to the tabernacle of the congregation so that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take of the spirit on you, and will put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you so that you do not bear it yourself alone. 18 Say to the people, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow and you shall eat flesh. For you have wept in the hearing+ of the Lord saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat, for it was well with us in Egypt? Therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and you shall eat. 19 You shall not eat one day nor two days nor five days nor ten days nor 20 days. 20 But a whole month until it comes out at your nostrils and is hateful to you, because you have despised the Lord among you and have wept before Him saying, Why did we come out of Egypt? 21 Moses said, The people among whom I am are 600,000 soldiers+. And you have said, I will give them flesh so that they may eat a whole month. 22 Shall the flocks and the herds be killed for them, to be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be enough for them? 23 The Lord said to Moses, Has the Lord's hand become short? You shall see now whether or not my Word will come to pass to you. 24 Moses told the people the words of the Lord and gathered 70 elders of the people and set them all around the tabernacle. 25 The Lord came down in a cloud and spoke to him and took from the spirit on him and gave it to the 70 elders. When the Spirit rested upon them they prophesied. But they never did so again. 26 But two of the men stayed in the camp. The name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other was Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. They were of those who were written, but did not go out to the tabernacle and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses and said, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. 28 Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, said, my lord Moses, make them cease. 29 Moses said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? Would you ask God that all the Lord's people were prophets so that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them. 30 Then Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. 31 A wind went forth from the Lord and cut off quails from the sea and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side and about a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits high upon the face of the earth. 32 The people stood up all that day and all night and all the next day and gathered the quails. One who gathered least gathered ten homers. They spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 While the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. 34 He called the name of that place Graves of Lust, because there they buried the people who lusted. 35 And the people pulled up from the Graves of Lust to Hazeroth and stayed at Hazeroth.
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