¹⁸ “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves^(A) in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed,^(B) “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!”^(C) Now the Lord will give you meat,^(D) and you will eat it.

¹⁰ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate^(A) them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes^(B)

³⁹ “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.^(A)

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.

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

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven^(D) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test^(E) them and see whether they will follow my instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice^(F) as much as they gather on the other days.”

⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt,^{(G) 7} and in the morning you will see the glory^(H) of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling^(I) against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”^(J)

² The people went to Bethel,^[a] where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly.

¹³ “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves^(A) in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.

² All the Israelites grumbled^(A) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt!^(B) Or in this wilderness!^{(C) 3} Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?^(D) Our wives and children^(E) will be taken as plunder.^(F) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?^(G)”

Quail From the Lord

⁴ The rabble with them began to crave other food,^(A) and again the Israelites started wailing^(B) and said, “If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.^{(C) 6} But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!^(D)”