The People Complain
Numbers 11The people were complaining in the ears of YHWH and when YHWH heard it, ʜɪꜱ anger burned. Then fire from YHWH burned among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried to Moses, Moses prayed to YHWH, and the fire abated. The name of that place was called Taberah,+11:3 Taberah means “burning” because YHWH’s fire burned among them.
The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; but now we have lost our appetite. There is nothing at all except this manna to look at.” The manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium.+11:7 Bdellium is a resin extracted from certain African trees. 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 fresh oil. When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent; and YHWH’s anger burned greatly; and Moses was displeased. Moses said to YHWH, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why haven’t I found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Have I conceived all this 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?’ Where could I get meat to give all these people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. If you treat me this way, please kill me right now, if I have found favor in your sight; and don’t let me see my wretchedness.”
Seventy Elders Appointed
YHWH said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you, so that you don’t have carry it alone.
“You are to say to the people, ‘Y’all must sanctify yourselves* in preparation for tomorrow, and y’all will eat meat. For y’all have wept in the ears of YHWH, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For we were better off in Egypt.” Therefore YHWH will give y’all meat, and y’all will eat. Y’all will not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at y’all’s nostrils, and it is loathsome to y’all, because y’all have rejected YHWH who is among y’all, and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we leave Egypt?”’”
Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’ If flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, would they have enough? If all the fish of the sea were caught for them, would it be sufficient for them?”
YHWH said to Moses, “Has YHWH’s hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not.”
Moses went out, and told the people YHWH’s words; and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them around the Tent. YHWH came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more. But two men 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 of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran, and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”
Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, “My lord Moses, forbid them!”
Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all YHWH’s people were prophets, that YHWH would put his Spirit on them!”
Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
YHWH Sends Quail
A wind from YHWH went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits+11:31 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. above the surface of the earth. The people rose up all that day, and all of that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers;+11:32 1 homer is about 220 liters or 6 bushels and they spread them all out for themselves around the camp. While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, YHWH’s anger burned against the people, and YHWH struck the people with a very great plague. The name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah,+11:34 Kibroth Hattaavah means “graves of lust” because there they buried the people who lusted.
From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth; and they stayed at Hazeroth.