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10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, all at the entrances of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and Moses was displeased.(A) 11 So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a wet nurse carries a nursing child, to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors’?(B) 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’(C) 14 I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me.(D) 15 If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favor in your sight—and do not let me see my misery.”(E)

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Moses Responds

10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their entire families. Everyone gathered at the entrance to their tents so that the Lord was very angry. Moses thought the situation was bad, 11 so he[a] asked the Lord, “Why did you bring all this trouble to your servant? Why haven’t I found favor in your eyes? After all, you’re putting the burden of this entire people on me! 12 Did I conceive this people or give birth to them, so that you would tell me to carry them near my heart like a wet nurse carries a suckling baby to the land that you promised to their forefathers? 13 Where am I going to get meat to give this people? After all, they’re crying in front of me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14 I cannot carry this whole nation! The burden is too heavy for me! 15 If this is how you treat me, please kill me right now, if I’ve found favor in your eyes, because I don’t want to keep staring at all of this[b] misery!”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 11:11 Lit. Moses
  2. Numbers 11:15 Lit. at my