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1 It wasn't long before the people started to complain about how much they were suffering. When the Lord heard what they were saying, he became angry. Fire from the Lord burned them, destroying some on the edge of the camp. 2 The people cried to Moses for help. He prayed to the Lord and the fire subsided. 3 So that place was named Taberah,*“Taberah” means “burning.” because the fire from the Lord burned them.
4 A group of troublemakers†Generally associated with the “mixed multitude” that left Egypt with the Israelites (see Exodus 12:38) among them had such intense food cravings they affected the Israelites who started crying again, asking “Who's going to get us some meat to eat? 5 We think back to all the fish we ate in Egypt that didn't cost us anything, as well as the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. 6 We're fading away here! The only thing we ever see is this manna!”
7 Manna looked like coriander seeds, light in color like gum resin. 8 The people would go out and collect it, grind it up in a mill or crush it in a mortar. Then they would boil it in a pot and make it into flatbread. It tasted like pastries made with the best olive oil. 9 When the dew came down on the camp at night the manna would come down with it.
10 Moses heard all the families crying at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became very angry, and Moses was also upset. 11 He asked the Lord, “Why have you made things so tough for me, your servant? Why are you so unhappy with me that you have placed on me the heavy responsibility for all these people? 12 Are they my children? Did I give birth to them, so you could tell me, ‘Hold them close to your chest like a nurse carrying a baby’ and take them to the land you promised to give to their forefathers? 13 Where am I supposed to get meat for all of them? They keep on complaining to me, ‘Get us some meat to eat!’ 14 I can't go on carrying all these people by myself—it's just too much. 15 If this is the way you're going to treat me, then please just kill me now so I don't have to face how depressed I've become. Please grant me this one request.”
16 The Lord told Moses, “Bring before me seventy Israelite elders who you know are respected as leaders by the people. Take them to the Tent of Meeting. They will stand there with you. 17 I will come down and talk with you there. I will take some of the Spirit you have and give it to them. They will take some of the responsibility for the people so you won't have to bear it alone.
18 Tell the people: Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you'll have meat to eat, because you were complaining and the Lord heard you saying, ‘Who's going to get us some meat to eat? We were better off in Egypt!’ So the Lord is going to provide you with meat to eat. 19 You're going to eat it, not for just a day or two, and not for five or ten or twenty days. 20 You're going to eat it for a whole month until it makes you vomit and it comes out through your nostrils, because you have rejected the Lord who is right here with you, complaining to him by saying, ‘Why on earth did we ever leave Egypt?’ ”
21 But Moses replied, “Here I am with 600,000 people and you're telling me, ‘I'm going to give them meat and they'll eat it for a month’? 22 Even if all our flocks and herds were slaughtered, would that be enough for them? Even if all the fish in the sea were caught, would that be enough for them?”
23 “Doesn't the Lord have the power to do that?” the Lord responded. “Now you're going to find out whether what I've said will happen or not!”
24 Moses went and shared with the people what the Lord said. He summoned seventy elders of the people and had them stand around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down and talked to him. The Lord took some of the Spirit Moses had and gave it to them. They prophesied, but this didn't ever happen again.
26 However, two men named Eldad and Medad had stayed behind in the camp. The Spirit came on them too. (They had been put on the list of the seventy elders, but they hadn't gone to the tent. But they prophesied where they were in the camp anyway.) 27 A young lad ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28 Joshua, son of Nun, who had been Moses' assistant since he was young, reacted, saying, “Moses, my lord, you have to stop them!”
29 “Are you jealous for my reputation?” Moses replied. “I wish that every one of the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would give his Spirit to all of them!” 30 Then Moses went back to the camp with the elders of Israel.
31 The Lord sent a wind that blew quail in from the sea and deposited them near the camp. They covered the ground to a depth of about two cubits and extended for a day's journey in every direction from the camp. 32 All through that day and night, and all through the next day, the people went on collecting the quail. Everyone collected at least ten homers,‡Estimated at a volume of 220 liters. and they spread them out to dry all around the camp.
33 But while the people were still biting into the meat, before they even chewed it down, the Lord showed his burning anger against them, killing some of them with a severe disease. 34 They named that place Kibroth-hattaavah,§Meaning “graves of craving.” because that was where they buried the people who had these intense food cravings.
35 Then they moved on from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth, where they stayed for some time.

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*11:3 “Taberah” means “burning.”

†11:4 Generally associated with the “mixed multitude” that left Egypt with the Israelites (see Exodus 12:38)

‡11:32 Estimated at a volume of 220 liters.

§11:34 Meaning “graves of craving.”

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher