The Israelites Complain
1 One day the Israelites started complaining about their troubles. The Lord heard them and became so angry that he destroyed the outer edges of their camp with fire.
2 When the people begged Moses to help, he prayed, and the fire went out. 3 They named the place “Burning,” because in his anger the Lord had set their camp on fire.
The People Grumble about Being Hungry
4 One day some foreigners among the Israelites became greedy for food, and even the Israelites themselves began moaning, “We don't have any meat! 5 In Egypt we could eat all the fish we wanted, and there were cucumbers, melons, all kinds of onions, and garlic. 6 But we're starving out here, and the only food we have is this manna.”
7 The manna was like small whitish seeds 8-9 and tasted like something baked with sweet olive oil. It appeared at night with the dew. In the morning the people would collect the manna, grind or crush it into flour, then boil it and make it into thin wafers.
10 The Israelites stood around their tents complaining. Moses heard them and was upset that they had made the Lord angry. 11 He prayed:
I am your servant, Lord, so why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this? You've made me responsible for all these people, 12 but they're not my children. You told me to nurse them along and to carry them to the land you promised their ancestors. 13 They keep whining for meat, but where can I get meat for them? 14 This job is too much for me. How can I take care of all these people by myself? 15 If this is the way you're going to treat me, just kill me now and end my miserable life!
Seventy Leaders Are Chosen To Help Moses
16 The Lord said to Moses:
Choose 70 of Israel's respected leaders and go with them to the sacred tent. 17 While I am talking with you there, I will give them some of your authority, so they can share responsibility for my people. You will no longer have to care for them by yourself.
18 As for the Israelites, I have heard them complaining about not having meat and about being better off in Egypt. So tell them to make themselves acceptable to me, because tomorrow they will have meat. 19-20 In fact, they will have meat day after day for a whole month—not just a few days, or even 10 or 20. They turned against me and wanted to go back to Egypt. Now they will eat meat until they get sick of it.
21 Moses replied, “At least 600,000 grown men are here with me. How can you say there will be enough meat to feed them and their families for a whole month? 22 Even if we butchered all our sheep and cattle, or caught every fish in the sea, we wouldn't have enough to feed them.”
23 The Lord answered, “I can do anything! Watch and you'll see my words come true.”
24 Moses told the people what the Lord had said. Then he chose 70 respected leaders and went with them to the sacred tent. While the leaders stood in a circle around the tent, Moses went inside, 25 and the Lord spoke with him. Then the Lord took some authority from Moses and gave it to the 70 leaders. And when the Lord's Spirit took control of them, they started shouting like prophets. But they did it only this one time.
26 Eldad and Medad were two leaders who had not gone to the tent. But when the Spirit took control of them, they began shouting like prophets right there in camp. 27 A boy ran to Moses and told him about Eldad and Medad.
28 Joshua was there helping Moses, as he had done since he was young. And he said to Moses, “Sir, you must stop them!”
29 But Moses replied, “Are you concerned what this might do to me? I wish the Lord would give his Spirit to all his people so everyone could be a prophet.” 30 Then Moses and the 70 leaders went back to camp.
The Lord Sends Quails
31 Some time later the Lord sent a strong wind that blew quails in from the sea until Israel's camp was completely surrounded with birds, piled up about a meter high for many kilometers in every direction. 32 The people picked up quails for two days—each person filled at least ten large baskets. Then they spread them out to dry. 33 But before the meat could be eaten, the Lord became angry and sent a deadly disease through the camp.
34 After they had buried the people who had been so greedy for meat, they called the place “Graves for the Greedy.”
35 Israel then broke camp and traveled to Hazeroth.
Tautas kurnēšana
1 Bet, tiklīdz tauta sāka nelāgi vaimanāt, lai Kungs to dzirdētu, Kungs to izdzirdēja – tad iedegās viņa dusmas, Kunga uguns uzliesmoja starp tiem un sāka rīt nometni no viena stūra. 2 Tad tauta brēca uz Mozu, un Mozus lūdzās Kungu, un uguns mitējās. 3 To vietu nosauca vārdā Tabēra , jo tur aizdegās Kunga uguns.
4 Un salašņas, kas tur bija, sāka visu ko kārot, un Israēla dēli atkal sāka gausties un teica: “Kas mūs paēdinās ar gaļu? 5 Mēs atceramies zivis, ko Ēģiptē ēdām par velti, gurķus un melones, sīpolus, ķiplokus un puravus! 6 Tagad mēs esam novārguši, nav nekā, tik manna mums acu priekšā!”
7 Manna bija kā koriandra sēklas, kā sveķi. 8 Ļaudis klaiņoja apkārt, vāca to un mala dzirnavās vai sagrūda piestā, vārīja podos vai gatavoja no tās cepumus, un to garša bija kā eļļas cepumiem. 9 Kad naktī pār nometni nokrita rasa, tad kopā ar to nokrita arī manna.
10 Un Mozus dzirdēja, ka tautā raud ik ģimene, katrs pie savas telts durvīm, – tad Kunga dusmas iedegās jo stipri, un Mozus bija sarūgtināts. 11 Mozus teica Kungam: “Kāpēc tu esi bijis ļauns pret savu kalpu, kāpēc es neesmu guvis tavu vēlību? Tu man esi uzlicis visu šīs tautas nastu! 12 Vai es visus šos ļaudis esmu ieņēmis, vai es tos dzemdēju, ka tu saki, lai nesu tos pie savas krūts, kā zīdītāja nes zīdaini, – uz zemi, kuru tu esi zvērējis viņu tēviem?! 13 No kurienes man gaļa, ko dot visiem šiem ļaudīm? Viņi raud un saka: dod mums gaļu, ko ēst! 14 Es nevaru viens pats nest šos ļaudis, jo tie ir par smagu! 15 Ja tu man tā dari, tad nokauj mani – ja esmu guvis tavu vēlību, lai es neredzu savu nelaimi!”
Septiņdesmit vecajie
16 Un Kungs teica Mozum: “Sapulcini man septiņdesmit vīrus no Israēla vecajiem, par kuriem tu zini, ka tie ir tautas vecajie un tās uzraugi, un ved viņus uz Saiešanas telti un nostājies tur kopā ar tiem! 17 Es nolaidīšos un runāšu tur ar tevi, un es ņemšu no Gara, kas ir pār tevi, un došu viņiem, un tie nesīs šīs tautas nastu kopā ar tevi, tev vairs nebūs tā jānes vienam. 18 Tautai tu saki: svētieties rītdienai, un jūs ēdīsiet gaļu, jo jūs raudājāt, Kungam dzirdot: kas mums dos ēst gaļu? Ēģiptē mums bija labi, – un Kungs jums dos ēst gaļu! 19 Nevis vienu dienu jūs ēdīsiet un ne divas dienas, un ne piecas dienas, un ne desmit dienas, un ne divdesmit dienas, 20 bet gan veselu mēnesi, kamēr tā jums nāks pa degunu ārā un liksies pretīga, – tāpēc ka jūs atmetāt Kungu, kas bija ar jums, un raudājāt viņa priekšā, sacīdami: kāpēc mēs aizgājām no Ēģiptes?!” 21 Un Mozus teica: “Seši simti tūkstošu ir kājnieku vien, pie kā es esmu, un tu saki: es viņiem došu gaļu, un viņi ēdīs veselu mēnesi! – 22 Vai viņiem tiks kautas avis un vērši, lai pietiktu, vai viņiem tiks nozvejotas visas jūras zivis, lai pietiktu?”
23 Un Kungs teica Mozum: “Vai Kunga roka īsāka kļuvusi? Tagad tu redzēsi, vai mani vārdi ir patiesi vai ne!” 24 Un Mozus iznāca ārā un stāstīja tautai, ko Kungs bija teicis, un viņš sapulcināja vīrus no tautas vecajiem un nostādīja viņus visapkārt teltij. 25 Kungs nolaidās mākonī un runāja ar viņu, un viņš ņēma Garu, kas bija pār Mozu, un deva to septiņdesmit vīriem, vecajiem, un, kad tiem tika gars, tie sāka pravietot un vairs nemitējās. 26 Bet divi vīri bija palikuši nometnē, vienu sauca Eldāds un otru – Mēdāds, un arī tiem tika gars, tie bija to septiņdesmit skaitā, bet uz telti nebija gājuši, un viņi pravietoja nometnē. 27 Un kāds zēns skrēja un stāstīja Mozum: “Eldāds un Mēdāds pravieto nometnē!” 28 Un Jozua, Nūna dēls, viens no viņa izvēlētajiem kalpiem, teica: “Mans kungs Mozu, aizliedz viņiem!” 29 Bet Mozus viņam teica: “Vai tikai tu neesi greizsirdīgs? Lai visa Kunga tauta kļūst par praviešiem, ja Kungs tiem dod savu Garu!” 30 Un Mozus devās uz nometni kopā ar Israēla vecajiem.
Paipalas
31 Tad pūta Kunga vējš, atnesa no jūras puses paipalas un nometa tās ap nometni, dienas gājumā vienā pusē un dienas gājumā otrā pusē, visapkārt nometnei, aptuveni divus elkoņus biezā kārtā virs zemes. 32 Un tauta gāja visu dienu un nakti un visu nākamo dienu un vāca paipalas. Tas, kurš savāca vismazāk, bija savācis desmit omerus. Viņi izklāja tās klājienā visapkārt nometnei. 33 Gaļa vēl nebija apēsta un bija tiem starp zobiem, kad iedegās Kunga dusmas uz tautu, un Kungs sita tautu ar jo smagu sodību. 34 To vietu nosauca vārdā Kibrot-Taava , jo tur apraka tos, kas bija padevušies kārībai. 35 No Kibrot-Taavas tauta devās uz Hacērotu, un Hacērotā viņi apstājās.
