Chapter 11

  The people were as murmurers, [speaking] evil in the ears of Yahweh: and when Yahweh heard it, his anger was kindled; and the fire of Yahweh burnt among them, and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp.  

  The people cried to Moses; and Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire abated.  

  The name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of Yahweh burnt among them.  

  The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh 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 our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all save this manna to look on.  

  The manna was like coriander seed, and the appearance of it as the appearance of bdellium.  

  The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as 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 the anger of Yahweh was kindled greatly; and Moses was displeased.  

  Moses said to Yahweh, Why have you dealt ill with your servant? and 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 forth, that you should tell me, Carry them in your bosom, as a nursing-father carries the sucking child, to the land which you swore to their fathers?  

  Whence should I have flesh to give to all this people? for they weep to me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.  

  I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.  

  If you deal thus with me, please kill me out of hand, if I have found favor in your sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.  

  Yahweh 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: and I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone.  

  Say you to the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and you shall eat flesh; for you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore Yahweh will give you flesh, and you shall eat.  

  You shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days,  

  but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome to you; because that you have rejected Yahweh who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?  

  Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and you have said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.  

  Shall flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?  

  Yahweh said to Moses, Has Yahweh's hand grown short? now shall you see whether my word shall happen to you or not.  

  Moses went out, and told the people the words of Yahweh: and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tent.  

  Yahweh 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: and it happened that when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more.  

  But there remained two men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested on them; and they were of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp.  

  There ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.  

  Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, My lord Moses, forbid them.  

  Moses said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? would that all Yahweh's people were prophets, that Yahweh would put his Spirit on them!  

  Moses got him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.  

  There went forth a wind from Yahweh, 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, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth.  

  The people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails: he who gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.  

  While the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the people, and Yahweh struck the people with a very great plague.  

  The name of that place was called Kibrothhattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted.  

  From Kibrothhattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth; and they abode at Hazeroth.