The Israelites Complain
1When the people complained, it displeased the
2When the people cried to Moses, he prayed to the
3So he called the name of that place Taberah because there the fire of the
Complaints about Food
4Now the mixed multitude who were among them craved more desirable foods, and so the Israelites wept again and said, “If only we had meat to eat!
5We remember the fish we used to eat freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.
6But now we are dried up, and there is nothing at all before us except this manna!”
7(Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.
8And the people went about and gathered it, and ground it with mills or pounded it in mortars; they baked it in pans and made cakes of it. It tasted like fresh olive oil.
9And when the dew came down on the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.)
Moses’ Complaint to the Lord
10Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and when the anger of the
11And Moses said to the
12Did I conceive this entire people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your arms, as a foster father bears a nursing child,’ to the land which you swore to their fathers?
13From where shall I get meat to give to this entire people, for they cry to me, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat!’
14I am not able to bear this entire people alone, because it is too heavy for me!
15But if you are going to deal with me like this, then kill me immediately. If I have found favor in your sight then do not let me see my trouble.”
The Response of God
16The
17Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take part of the spirit that is on you, and will put it on them, and they will bear some of the burden of the people with you, so that you do not bear it all by yourself.
18“And say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the
19You will eat, not just one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,
20but a whole month, until it comes out your nostrils and makes you sick, because you have despised the
21Moses said, “The people around me are 600,000 on foot; but you say, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’
22Would they have enough if the flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? If all the fish of the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?”
23And the
24So Moses went out and told the people the words of the
25And the
Eldad and Medad
26But two men remained in the camp; one’s name was Eldad, and the other’s name was Medad. And the spirit rested on them. (Now they were among those in the registration, but had not gone to the tabernacle.) So they prophesied in the camp.
27And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”
28Joshua son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his choice young men, said, “My lord Moses, stop them!”
29Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for me? I wish that all the
30Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel.
Provision of Quail
31Now a wind went out from the
32And the people stayed up all that day, all that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail. The one who gathered the least gathered ten homers, and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.
33But while the meat was still between their teeth, before they chewed it, the anger of the
34So the name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people that craved different food.
35The people traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah to Hazeroth, and they stayed at Hazeroth.