¹⁰ Moses heard the people, family after family, weeping at the entrance of their tents. The Lord was very angry;^(A) Moses was also provoked.^{[a] 11} So Moses asked the Lord, “Why have you brought such trouble on your servant? Why are you angry with me,^[b] and why do you burden me with all these people?^{(B) 12} Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth so you should tell me, ‘Carry them at your breast, as a nursing mother carries a baby,’^(C) to the land that you swore to give their ancestors?^{(D) 13} Where can I get meat to give all these people? For they are weeping to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ¹⁴ I can’t carry all these people by myself. They are too much for me. ¹⁵ If you are going to treat me like this, please kill me right now^(E) if I have found favor with you, and^(F) don’t let me see my misery^[c] anymore.”

Seventy Elders Anointed

¹⁶ The Lord answered Moses, “Bring me seventy men from Israel known to you as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting and have them stand there with you. ¹⁷ Then I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the Spirit who is on you and put the Spirit on them.^(G) They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.^(H)

¹⁸ “Tell the people: Consecrate yourselves in readiness for tomorrow, and you will eat meat because you wept in the Lord’s hearing, ‘Who will feed us meat? We were better off in Egypt.’ The Lord will give you meat and you will eat. ¹⁹ You will eat, not for one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, ²⁰ but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes nauseating to you—because you have rejected the Lord who is among you, and wept before him, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’” ^(I)

²¹ But Moses replied, “I’m in the middle of a people with six hundred thousand foot soldiers,^(J) yet you say, ‘I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.’ ²² If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?” ^(K)

²³ The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm weak?^[d](L) Now you will see whether or not what I have promised will happen to you.”

Water from the Rock

20 The entire Israelite community entered the Wilderness of Zin^(A) in the first month, and they^[a] settled in Kadesh.^(B) Miriam^(C) died and was buried there.

² There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. ³ The people quarreled with Moses and said,^(D) “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord.^{(E) 4} Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness^(F) for us and our livestock to die here?^{(G) 5} Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates,^(H) and there is no water to drink!”

⁶ Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. ⁷ The Lord spoke to Moses, ⁸ “Take the staff^(I) and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock^(J) while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.”

⁹ So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence^(K) just as he had commanded him. ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” ¹¹ Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that abundant water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.^(L)

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”^{(M) 13} These are the Waters of Meribah,^[b](N) where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and he demonstrated his holiness to them.^(O)