The Place Named Taberah
1 The people began to complain to the Lord about their troubles. When the Lord heard them, he became angry and sent fire on the people. It burned among them and destroyed one end of the camp. 2 The people cried out to Moses for help; he prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. 3 So the place was named Taberah, because there the fire of the Lord burned among them.
Moses Chooses Seventy Leaders
4 There were foreigners traveling with the Israelites. They had a strong craving for meat, and even the Israelites themselves began to complain: “If only we could have some meat! 5 In Egypt we used to eat all the fish we wanted, and it cost us nothing. Remember the cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic we had? 6 But now our strength is gone. There is nothing at all to eat—nothing but this manna day after day!”
( 7 Manna was like small seeds, whitish yellow in color. 8-9 It fell on the camp at night along with the dew. The next morning the people would go around and gather it, grind it or pound it into flour, and then boil it and make it into flat cakes. It tasted like bread baked with olive oil.)
10 Moses heard all the people complaining as they stood around in groups at the entrances of their tents. He was distressed because the Lord had become angry with them, 11 and he said to the Lord, “Why have you treated me so badly? Why are you displeased with me? Why have you given me the responsibility for all these people? 12 I didn't create them or bring them to birth! Why should you ask me to act like a nurse and carry them in my arms like babies all the way to the land you promised to their ancestors? 13 Where could I get enough meat for all these people? They keep whining and asking for meat. 14 I can't be responsible for all these people by myself; it's too much for me! 15 If you are going to treat me like this, have pity on me and kill me, so that I won't have to endure your cruelty any longer.”
16 The Lord said to Moses, “Assemble seventy respected men who are recognized as leaders of the people, bring them to me at the Tent of my presence, and tell them to stand there beside you. 17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the spirit I have given you and give it to them. Then they can help you bear the responsibility for these people, and you will not have to bear it alone. 18 Now tell the people, ‘Purify yourselves for tomorrow; you will have meat to eat. The Lord has heard you whining and saying that you wished you had some meat and that you were better off in Egypt. Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. 19 You will have to eat it not just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or even twenty days, 20 but for a whole month, until it comes out of your ears, until you are sick of it. This will happen because you have rejected the Lord who is here among you and have complained to him that you should never have left Egypt.’”
21 Moses said to the Lord, “Here I am leading 600,000 people, and you say that you will give them enough meat for a month? 22 Could enough cattle and sheep be killed to satisfy them? Are all the fish in the sea enough for them?”
23 “Is there a limit to my power?” the Lord answered. “You will soon see whether what I have said will happen or not!”
24 So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He assembled seventy of the leaders and placed them around the Tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy leaders. When the spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long.
26 Two of the seventy leaders, Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp and had not gone out to the Tent. There in the camp the spirit came on them, and they too began to shout like prophets. 27 A young man ran out to tell Moses what Eldad and Medad were doing.
28 Then Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses, “Stop them, sir!”
29 Moses answered, “Are you concerned about my interests? I wish that the Lord would give his spirit to all his people and make all of them shout like prophets!” 30 Then Moses and the seventy leaders of Israel went back to camp.
The Lord Sends Quails
31 Suddenly the Lord sent a wind that brought quails from the sea, flying three feet above the ground. They settled on the camp and all around it for miles and miles in every direction. 32 So all that day, all night, and all the next day, the people worked catching quails; no one gathered less than fifty bushels. They spread them out to dry all around the camp. 33 While there was still plenty of meat for them to eat, the Lord became angry with the people and caused an epidemic to break out among them. 34 That place was named Kibroth Hattaavah (which means “Graves of Craving”), because there they buried the people who had craved meat.
35 From there the people moved to Hazeroth, where they made camp.
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.
