1And the people were as murmurers, speaking evil in the ears of Jehovah : and when Jehovah heard it , his anger was kindled ; and the fire of Jehovah burnt among them , and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp . 2And the people cried unto Moses ; and Moses prayed unto Jehovah , and the fire abated. 3And the name of that place was called Taberah , because the fire of Jehovah burnt among them .
The Craving for Meat
4And 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? 5We remember the fish , which we did eat in Egypt for nought ; the cucumbers , and the melons, and the leeks , and the onions , and the garlic : 6but now our soul is dried away ; there is nothing at all save this manna to look upon . 7And the manna was like coriander seed , and the appearance thereof as the appearance of bdellium. 8The 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 . 9And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night , the manna fell upon it .
God's Provision of Quail
10And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families , every man at the door of his tent: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled greatly ; and Moses was displeased . 11And Moses said unto Jehovah , Wherefore hast thou dealt ill with thy servant ? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight , that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me ? 12Have I conceived all this people ? have I brought them forth , that thou shouldest say unto me , Carry them in thy bosom , as a nursing-father carrieth the sucking child , unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers ? 13Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people ? for they weep unto me , saying, Give us flesh , that we may eat. 14I am not able to bear all this people alone , because it is too heavy for me . 15And if thou deal thus with me , kill me , I pray thee , out of hand , if I have found favor in thy sight ; and let me not see my wretchedness . 16And Jehovah said unto Moses , Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel , whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people , and officers over them ; and bring them unto the tent of meeting , that they may stand there with thee . 17And I will come down and talk with thee there : and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee , and will put it upon them ; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee , that thou bear it not thyself alone . 18And say thou unto the people , Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh ; for ye have wept in the ears of Jehovah , saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt : therefore Jehovah will give you flesh , and ye shall eat. 19Ye shall not eat one day , nor two days , nor five days , neither ten days , nor twenty days , 20but a whole month , until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you ; because that ye have rejected Jehovah who is among you , and have wept before him , saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt ?
The Appointment of Elders
21And Moses said, The people , among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen ; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh , that they may eat a whole month . 22Shall 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 ? 23And Jehovah said unto Moses , Is Jehovah ’s hand waxed short ? now shalt thou see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not . 24And Moses went out , and told the people the words of Jehovah : and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people , and set them round about the Tent. 25And Jehovah came down in the cloud , and spake unto him , and took of the Spirit that was upon him , and put it upon the seventy elders : and it came to pass , that , when the Spirit rested upon them , they prophesied , but they did so no more . 26But 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 upon them ; and they were of them that were written , but had not gone out unto the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp . 27And there ran a young man , and told Moses , and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp . 28And Joshua the son of Nun , the minister of Moses , one of his chosen men , answered and said , My lord Moses , forbid them . 29And Moses said unto him , Art thou jealous for my sake ? would that all Jehovah ’s people were prophets , that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them ! 30And Moses gat him into the camp , he and the elders of Israel . 31And there went forth a wind from Jehovah , 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 face of the earth. 32And the people rose up all that day , and all the night , and all the next day , and gathered the quails : he that gathered least gathered ten homers : and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp . 33While the flesh was yet between their teeth , ere it was chewed , the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the people , and Jehovah smote the people with a very great plague . 34And the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah , because there they buried the people that lusted. 35From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed unto Hazeroth ; and they abode at Hazeroth .