Numbers 11

The Israelites Complain

1 s When the people complained,t it displeasedt the Lord. When the Lord heardt it, his anger burned,t and sot the fire of the Lords burned among them and consumed some of the outer parts of the camp.2 When the people cried to Moses, het prayed to the Lord, and the fire died out.s

3 So he called the name of that place Taberaht because there the fire of the Lord burned among them.

Complaints about Food

4 s Now the mixed multitudet who were among them craved more desirable foods,t and so the Israelites wept against and said, “If only we had meat to eat!t5 We rememberts the fish we used to eatt freelyt in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.6 But now wet are dried up,s and there is nothing at all before ust except this manna!”7 (Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.8 And 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.t

9 And when the dew came downt on the camp in the night, the manna fellt with it.)

Moses’ Complaint to the Lord

10 s Moses heard the people weepingt throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and when the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, Moses was also displeased.t11 And Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you afflictedt your servant? Why have I not found favor in your sight, thatt you lay the burden of this entire people on me?12 Did I conceive this entire people?s Did I give birth tot them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your arms, as a foster fathert bears a nursing child,’ to the land which you swore to their fathers?13 From where shall I gett meat to give to this entire people, for they cry to me, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat!’t14 I am not able to bear this entire people alone,t because itt is too heavy for me!

15 But if you are going to dealt with me like this, then kill me immediately.t If I have found favor in your sight then do not let me see my trouble.”t

The Response of God

16 s The Lord said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know are elders of the people and officialst over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting; let them take their position there with you.

17 Then 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 itt all by yourself.
18 “And say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselvest for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, for you have wept in the hearingt of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat,t for lifet was good for us in Egypt?” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat.19 You will eat, not just one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,

20 but a whole month,t until it comes out your nostrils and makes you sick,t because you have despiseds the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Whyt did we ever come out of Egypt?”’”
21 Moses said, “The people around met are 600,000 on foot;t but you say, ‘I will give them meat,t that they may eatt for a whole month.’22 Would 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?”

23 And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened?s Now you will see whether my word to you will come truet or not!”
24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. He then gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and had them stand around the tabernacle.

25 And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to them, and he took some of the Spirit that was on Mosest and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them,t they prophesied,t but did not do so again.t

Eldad and Medad

26 But 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,t but had not gone to the tabernacle.) So they prophesied in the camp.27 And at young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”28 Joshua son of Nun, the servantt of Moses, one of his choice young men,t said,t “My lord Moses, stop them!”s29 Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for me?t I wish thatt all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

30 Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel.

Provision of Quail

31 Now a winds went outt from the Lord and brought quails from the sea, and let them fallt near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about three feett high on the surface of the ground.32 And the people stayed upt all that day, all that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail. The one who gathered the least gathered ten homers,s and they spread them outt for themselves all around the camp.

33 But while the meat was still between their teeth, before they chewed it,t the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague.
34 So the name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah,s because there they buried the people that craved different food.t

35 The people traveled from Kibroth Hattaavah to Hazeroth, and they stayed at Hazeroth.

NUMBERS 11

The Israelites Complain

1 One day the Israelites started complaining about their troubles. The [Lord] heard them and became so angry that he destroyed the outer edges of their camp with fire.
2 When the people begged Moses to help, he prayed, and the fire went out.

3 They named the place “Burning,”t because in his anger the [Lord] had set their camp on fire.

The People Grumble //about Being Hungry

6 But we're starving out here, and the only food we have is this manna.”
7  t The manna was like small whitish seeds

8-9 t and tasted like something baked with sweet olive oil. It appeared at night with the dew. In the morning the people would collect the manna, grind or crush it into flour, then boil it and make it into thin wafers.
10 The Israelites stood around their tents complaining. Moses heard them and was upset that they had made the [Lord] angry.

11 He prayed:
I am your servant, [Lord], so why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this? You've made me responsible for all these people, 12 but they're not my children. You told me to nurse them along and to carry them to the land you promised their ancestors. 13 They keep whining for meat, but where can I get meat for them? 14 This job is too much for me. How can I take care of all these people by myself?

15 If this is the way you're going to treat me, just kill me now and end my miserable life!

Seventy Leaders Are Chosen //To Help Moses

16 The [Lord] said to Moses:
Choose 70 of Israel's respected leaders and go with them to the sacred tent.

17 While I am talking with you there, I will give them some of your authority, so they can share responsibility for my people. You will no longer have to care for them by yourself.
18 As for the Israelites, I have heard them complaining about not having meat and about being better off in Egypt. So tell them to make themselves acceptable to me, because tomorrow they will have meat.

19-20 In fact, they will have meat day after day for a whole month—not just a few days, or even 10 or 20. They turned against me and wanted to go back to Egypt. Now they will eat meat until they get sick of it.
21 Moses replied, “At least 600,000 grown men are here with me. How can you say there will be enough meat to feed them and their families for a whole month?

22 Even if we butchered all our sheep and cattle, or caught every fish in the sea, we wouldn't have enough to feed them.”

23 The [Lord] answered, “I can do anything! Watch and you'll see my words come true.”
24 Moses told the people what the [Lord] had said. Then he chose 70 respected leaders and went with them to the sacred tent. While the leaders stood in a circle around the tent, Moses went inside,

25 and the [Lord] spoke with him. Then the [Lord] took some authorityt from Moses and gave it to the 70 leaders. And when the [Lord]'s Spirit took control of them, they started shouting like prophets. But they did it only this one time.
26 Eldad and Medad were two leaders who had not gone to the tent. But when the Spirit took control of them, they began shouting like prophets right there in camp.

27 A boy ran to Moses and told him about Eldad and Medad.

28 Joshuat was there helping Moses, as he had done since he was young. And he said to Moses, “Sir, you must stop them!”
29 But Moses replied, “Are you concerned what this might do to me? I wish the [Lord] would give his Spirit to all his people so everyone could be a prophet.”

30 Then Moses and the 70 leaders went back to camp.

The [Lord] Sends Quails

33 But before the meat could be eaten, the [Lord] became angry and sent a deadly disease through the camp.

34 After they had buried the people who had been so greedy for meat, they called the place “Graves for the Greedy.”t
35 Israel then broke camp and traveled to Hazeroth.