The Place Named Taberah
1 The people began to complain to the Lord about their troubles. When the Lord heard them, he became angry and sent fire on the people. It burned among them and destroyed one end of the camp. 2 The people cried out to Moses for help; he prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. 3 So the place was named Taberah, because there the fire of the Lord burned among them.
Moses Chooses Seventy Leaders
4 There were foreigners traveling with the Israelites. They had a strong craving for meat, and even the Israelites themselves began to complain: “If only we could have some meat! 5 In Egypt we used to eat all the fish we wanted, and it cost us nothing. Remember the cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic we had? 6 But now our strength is gone. There is nothing at all to eat—nothing but this manna day after day!”
( 7 Manna was like small seeds, whitish yellow in color. 8-9 It fell on the camp at night along with the dew. The next morning the people would go around and gather it, grind it or pound it into flour, and then boil it and make it into flat cakes. It tasted like bread baked with olive oil.)
10 Moses heard all the people complaining as they stood around in groups at the entrances of their tents. He was distressed because the Lord had become angry with them, 11 and he said to the Lord, “Why have you treated me so badly? Why are you displeased with me? Why have you given me the responsibility for all these people? 12 I didn't create them or bring them to birth! Why should you ask me to act like a nurse and carry them in my arms like babies all the way to the land you promised to their ancestors? 13 Where could I get enough meat for all these people? They keep whining and asking for meat. 14 I can't be responsible for all these people by myself; it's too much for me! 15 If you are going to treat me like this, have pity on me and kill me, so that I won't have to endure your cruelty any longer.”
16 The Lord said to Moses, “Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as leaders of the people, bring them to me at the Tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. 17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the spirit I have given you and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people, and you will not have to bear it alone. 18 Now tell the people, ‘Purify yourselves for tomorrow; you will have meat to eat. The Lord has heard you whining and saying that you wished you had some meat and that you were better off in Egypt. Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. 19 You will have to eat it not just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or even twenty days, 20 but for a whole month, until it comes out of your ears, until you are sick of it. This will happen because you have rejected the Lord who is here among you and have complained to him that you should never have left Egypt.’”
21 Moses said to the Lord, “Here I am leading 600,000 people, and you say that you will give them enough meat for a month? 22 Could enough cattle and sheep be killed to satisfy them? Are all the fish in the sea enough for them?”
23 “Is there a limit to my power?” the Lord answered. “You will soon see whether what I have said will happen or not!”
24 So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He assembled seventy of the leaders and placed them around the Tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy leaders. When the spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long.
26 Two of the seventy leaders, Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp and had not gone out to the Tent. There in the camp the spirit came on them, and they too began to shout like prophets. 27 A young man ran out to tell Moses what Eldad and Medad were doing.
28 Then Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses, “Stop them, sir!”
29 Moses answered, “Are you concerned about my interests? I wish that the Lord would give his spirit to all his people and make all of them shout like prophets!” 30 Then Moses and the seventy leaders of Israel went back to camp.
The Lord Sends Quails
31 Suddenly the Lord sent a wind that brought quails from the sea, flying three feet above the ground. They settled on the camp and all around it for miles and miles in every direction. 32 So all that day, all night, and all the next day, the people worked catching quails; no one gathered less than fifty bushels. They spread them out to dry all around the camp. 33 While there was still plenty of meat for them to eat, the Lord became angry with the people and caused an epidemic to break out among them. 34 That place was named Kibroth Hattaavah (which means “Graves of Craving”), because there they buried the people who had craved meat.
35 From there the people moved to Hazeroth, where they made camp.
1 When the people became murmurers, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it, therefore his wrath was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed the vtmost parte of the hoste. 2 Then the people cryed vnto Moses: and when Moses praied vnto the Lord, the fire was quenched. 3 And he called the name of that place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burnt among them. 4 And a nomber of people that was amog them, fell a lusting, and turned away, and the children of Israel also wept, and saide, Who shall giue vs flesh to eate? 5 We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt for nought, the cucumbers, and the pepons, and the leekes, and the onions, and the garleke. 6 But now our soule is dryed away, we can see nothing but this Man. 7 (The Man also was as coriander seede, and his colour like the colour of bdelium. 8 The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in milles, or beat it in morters, and baked it in a cauldron, and made cakes of it, and the taste of it was like vnto the taste of fresh oyle. 9 And when the dewe fell downe vpon the hoste in the night, the Man fell with it) 10 Then Moses heard the people weepe throughout their families, euery man in the doore of his tent, and the wrath of the Lord was grieuously kindled: also Moses was grieued. 11 And Moses saide vnto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou vexed thy seruant? and why haue I not found fauour in thy sight, seeing thou hast put the charge of al this people vpon mee? 12 Haue I conceiued al this people? or haue I begotte them, that thou shouldest say vnto me, Cary them in thy bosome (as a nurse beareth the sucking childe) vnto the lande, for the which thou swarest vnto their fathers? 13 Where should I haue flesh to giue vnto al this people? for they weepe vnto me, saying, Giue vs flesh that we may eate. 14 I am not able to beare al this people alone, for it is too heauie for me. 15 Therefore if thou deale thus with mee, I pray thee, if I haue founde fauour in thy sight, kill me, that I behold not my miserie. 16 Then the Lord said vnto Moses, Gather vnto me seuetie men of ye Elders of Israel, whome thou knowest, that they are the Elders of the people, and gouernonrs ouer them, and bring them vnto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and let them stand there with thee, 17 And I will come downe, and talke with thee there, and take of the Spirite, which is vpon thee, and put vpon them, and they shall beare the burthen of the people with thee: so thou shalt not beare it alone. 18 Furthermore thou shalt saye vnto the people, Bee sanctified against to morowe, and yee shall eate flesh: for you haue wept in the eares of the Lord, saying, Who shall giue vs flesh to eate? for we were better in Egypt: therefore the Lord will giue you flesh, and ye shall eate. 19 Ye shall not eat one day nor two daies, nor fiue daies, neither ten daies, nor twentie dayes, 20 But a whole moneth, vntill it come out at your nostrels, and bee lothesome vnto you, because ye haue contemned the Lord, which is among you, and haue wept before him, saying, Why came we hither out of Egypt? 21 And Moses saide, Six hundreth thousande footemen are there of the people, among whom I am: and thou saiest, I will giue them flesh, that they may eate a moneth long. 22 Shall the sheepe and the beeues be slaine for them, to finde them? either shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them? 23 And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Is the Lordes hand shortened? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe vnto thee, or no. 24 So Moses went out, and told the people the wordes of the Lord, and gathered seuentie men of the Elders of the people, and set them round about the Tabernacle. 25 Then the Lord came downe in a cloude, and spake vnto him, and tooke of the Spirit that was vpon him, and put it vpon the seuentie Ancient men: and when the Spirit rested vpon them, then they prophecied, and did not cease. 26 But there remained two of the men in the hoste: the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad, and the Spirit rested vpon them, (for they were of them that were written, and went not out vnto the Tabernacle) and they prophecied in the hoste. 27 Then there ranne a yong man, and tolde Moses, and saide, Eldad and Medad doe prophesie in the hoste. 28 And Ioshua the sonne of Nun the seruant of Moses one of his yong men answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29 But Moses saide vnto him, Enuiest thou for my sake? yea, would God that all the Lordes people were Prophets, and that the Lord woulde put his Spirit vpon them. 30 And Moses returned into the hoste, he and the Elders of Israel. 31 Then there went foorth a winde from the Lord, and brought quailes from the Sea, and let them fall vpon the campe, a dayes iourney on this side, and a dayes iourney on the other side, round about the hoste, and they were about two cubites aboue the earth. 32 Then the people arose, al that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quailes: he that gathered the least, gathered ten Homers full, and they spred them abroade for their vse round about the hoste. 33 While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth, before it was chewed, euen the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with an exceeding great plague. 34 So the name of the place was called, Kibroth-hattaauah: for there they buried the people that fell a lusting. 35 From Kibroth-hattaauah ye people tooke their iourney to Hazeroth, and abode at Hazeroth.