¹¹ They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?^(A) What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?

The People Rebel

14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.^{(A) 2} All the Israelites grumbled^(B) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt!^(C) Or in this wilderness!^{(D) 3} Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?^(E) Our wives and children^(F) will be taken as plunder.^(G) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?^(H)” ⁴ And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.^(I)”

² So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water^(A) to drink.”^(B)

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”^(C)

³ But the people were thirsty^(D) for water there, and they grumbled^(E) against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die^(F) of thirst?”

² In the desert the whole community grumbled^(A) against Moses and Aaron. ³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!^(B) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food^(C) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”^(D)

²³ When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.^[a](A)) ²⁴ So the people grumbled^(B) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”^(C)

¹⁵ If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me^(A)—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

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.

⁴¹ The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.