The People Complain

11 Now (A)when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; (B)for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the (C)fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people (D)cried out to Moses, and when Moses (E)prayed to the Lord, the fire was [a]quenched. So he called the name of the place [b]Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.

Now the (F)mixed multitude who were among them [c]yielded to (G)intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: (H)“Who will give us meat to eat? (I)We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now (J)our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

Now (K)the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium. The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and (L)its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil. And (M)when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.

10 Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and (N)the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. 11 (O)So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the [d]burden of all these people on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, (P)‘Carry them in your bosom, as a (Q)guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You (R)swore[e] to their fathers? 13 (S)Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 (T)I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and (U)do not let me see my wretchedness!”

The Seventy Elders

16 So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me (V)seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and (W)officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. (X)I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. 18 Then you shall say to the people, [f]‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept (Y)in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, 20 (Z)but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have (AA)despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, (AB)“Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?” ’ ”

21 And Moses said, (AC)“The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’ 22 (AD)Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?”

23 And the Lord said to Moses, (AE)“Has[g] the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether (AF)what I say will happen to you or not.”

24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he (AG)gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, (AH)when the Spirit rested upon them, that (AI)they prophesied, [h]although they never did so again.

26 But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who (AJ)had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

28 So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, (AK)forbid them!”

29 Then Moses said to him, “Are you [i]zealous for my sake? (AL)Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” 30 And Moses returned to the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

The Lord Sends Quail

31 Now a (AM)wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering 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 two cubits above the surface of the ground. 32 And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten (AN)homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 But while the (AO)meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. 34 So he called the name of that place [j]Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving.

35 (AP)From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, and camped at Hazeroth.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 11:2 extinguished
  2. Numbers 11:3 Lit. Burning
  3. Numbers 11:4 Lit. lusted intensely
  4. Numbers 11:11 responsibility
  5. Numbers 11:12 solemnly promised
  6. Numbers 11:18 Set yourselves apart
  7. Numbers 11:23 Is the Lord’s power limited?
  8. Numbers 11:25 Tg., Vg. and they did not cease
  9. Numbers 11:29 jealous
  10. Numbers 11:34 Lit. Graves of Craving

Gud sänder eld över folket

11 Folket började snart klaga över alla svårigheter de mötte under vägen och Herren hörde dem. Han blev förargad på dem för att de klagade ochi sin vrede sände han en eld och utplånade delar av lägrets ytterområden.

Då ropade de till Mose om hjälp, och när han bad för dem, upphörde elden.

Efter detta blev platsen känd under namnet Tabeera, som betyder brand, eftersom Herrens eld hade brunnit bland dem.

Folket klagar och Gud ger dem kött

4-5 Då började främlingarna bland dem att längta efter det goda som fanns i Egypten. Detta ökade missnöjet också bland Israels folk, och de suckade och klagade: Om vi ändå hade lite kött att äta! Tänk om vi hade lite av den goda fisk som vi fick i Egypten. Och minns ni de goda gurkorna och melonerna, purjolöken, rödlöken och vitlöken?

Vi tappar matlusten av att behöva äta manna varenda dag, både morgon och kväll!

Mannat liknade korianderfrö och påminde om kåda.

Folket samlade det från marken och malde det till mjöl eller krossade det i mortlar. Sedan kokade de det eller gräddade kakor av det, och det smakade som om det var tillagat med olivolja.

Mannat föll om natten samtidigt med daggen.

10 Mose hörde hur familjerna stod i sina tältöppningar och grät. Herrens vrede blev allt större, och Mose blev själv mycket illa till mods.

11 Då sa Mose till Herren: Vad har jag gjort för ont eftersom jag måste dras med detta folk?

12 Inte är de väl mina barn? Inte är det väl jag som är far till dem? Varför har du låtit mig bli som en dadda för dem tills vi kommer till det land du lovade deras förfäder?

13 Var ska jag kunna få tag i kött åt alla dessa människor? De gråter ju och säger till mig: Ge oss kött!

14 Jag kan inte själv bära allt detta! Bördan är alltför tung!

15 Om du tänker behandla mig på det sättet är det lika bra att du tar mitt liv nu på fläcken! Det skulle vara barmhärtigare! Låt mig få slippa det här eländet!

16 Då sa Herren till Mose: Kalla samman sjuttio av ledarna i Israel och för fram dem inför mig vid tabernaklet, så att de står där tillsammans med dig.

17 Jag ska komma ner och tala med er där, och jag ska ta av den Ande som är över dig och låta den komma också över dem. De ska dela bördan av folket med dig, så att inte du ensam behöver ha hela ansvaret.

18 Säg också till folket att rena sig, för i morgon ska de få kött att äta. Säg till dem: Herren har hört er gråt och er klagan över allt som ni varit tvungna att lämna bakom er i Egypten, och han tänker ge er kött. Ni ska äta det,

19-20 inte bara en eller två dagar, eller fem eller tio eller ens tjugo! I en hel månad ska ni få kött tills ni får avsmak för det och spyr ut det genom näsan, för ni har förkastat Herren som finns här bland er, och ni har gråtit av längtan efter Egypten.

21 Men Mose sa: Här finns det 600.000 män förutom alla kvinnor och barn, och ändå har du lovat dem kött i en hel månad.

22 Om vi slaktade all vår boskap skulle det ändå inte räcka! Inte ens all fisk i havet är nog!

23 Då sa Herren till Mose: När skulle jag ha blivit så maktlös? Nu ska du få se om mitt ord är sant eller inte!

24 Mose lämnade sedan tabernaklet och gick ut och berättade för folket vad Herren hade sagt. Han samlade de sjuttio ledarna runt tabernaklet.

25 Herren kom ner i molnet och talade med Mose, och han tog av den Ande som var över Mose och lät den komma över de sjuttio. När Anden kom över dem började de profetera, men det hände bara vid det tillfället.

26 Men två av de sjuttio, Eldad och Medad, hade blivit kvar i lägret, och när Anden kom över dem profeterade de där de stod.

27 Några unga män sprang till Mose och berättade detta.

28 Då protesterade Josua, Nuns son, Moses medhjälpare, och sa: Du måste försöka få dem att sluta!

29-30 Men Mose svarade: Är du avundsjuk för min skull? Jag önskar att allt Herrens folk var profeter och att Herren kunde sända sin Ande över dem alla!30Därefter återvände Mose och ledarna till lägret.

31 Sedan sände Herren en vind som förde med sig vaktlar in från havet och lät dem falla i lägret och runt omkring det! Så långt man kunde gå åt alla håll fanns det vaktlar. De flög strax ovanför marken.

32 Folket fångade dem och slaktade dem hela den dagen och natten och även följande dag! Ingen samlade in mindre än två tusen liter, och det låg vaktlar överallt.

33 Men när folket började äta av köttet upptändes Herrens vrede mot dem, och många dog.

34 Platsen kom att kallas Begärets gravar, därför att det var där de människor begravdes som haft begär efter kött.

35 Folket bröt upp och vandrade vidare till Haserot där de stannade en tid.

Fire From the Lord

11 Now the people complained(A) about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord,(B) and when he heard them his anger was aroused.(C) Then fire from the Lord burned among them(D) and consumed(E) some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed(F) to the Lord(G) and the fire died down. So that place was called Taberah,[a](H) because fire from the Lord had burned among them.(I)

Quail From the Lord

The rabble with them began to crave other food,(J) and again the Israelites started wailing(K) and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.(L) But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!(M)

The manna was like coriander seed(N) and looked like resin.(O) The people went around gathering it,(P) and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. When the dew(Q) settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing(R) at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble(S) on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?(T) 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant,(U) to the land you promised on oath(V) to their ancestors?(W) 13 Where can I get meat for all these people?(X) They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.(Y) 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me(Z)—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

16 The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders(AA) who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people.(AB) Have them come to the tent of meeting,(AC) that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you(AD) there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them.(AE) They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.(AF)

18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves(AG) in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed,(AH) “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!”(AI) Now the Lord will give you meat,(AJ) and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it(AK)—because you have rejected the Lord,(AL) who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”(AM)

21 But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men(AN) on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ 22 Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”(AO)

23 The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?(AP) Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.(AQ)

24 So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud(AR) and spoke with him,(AS) and he took some of the power of the Spirit(AT) that was on him and put it on the seventy elders.(AU) When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied(AV)—but did not do so again.

26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them,(AW) and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

28 Joshua son of Nun,(AX) who had been Moses’ aide(AY) since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”(AZ)

29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets(BA) and that the Lord would put his Spirit(BB) on them!”(BC) 30 Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail(BD) in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits[b] deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers.[c] Then they spread them out all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth(BE) and before it could be consumed, the anger(BF) of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.(BG) 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah,[d](BH) because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth(BI) and stayed there.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 11:3 Taberah means burning.
  2. Numbers 11:31 That is, about 3 feet or about 90 centimeters
  3. Numbers 11:32 That is, possibly about 1 3/4 tons or about 1.6 metric tons
  4. Numbers 11:34 Kibroth Hattaavah means graves of craving.