Numbers 11

And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

1The people complained about how hard their trip was. The LORD heard them and became angry. Fire from the LORD burned at the far edge of the camp.

2And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

2The people cried out to Moses for help. Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire stopped.

3And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

3So that place was named Taberah. It was named that because the LORD's fire burned there.

4And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

4A mixed crowd was traveling with Israel. They badly wanted other food. The people of Israel cried again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?

5We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

5We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for free. We had cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.

6But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

6But now we do not even feel hungry. There is nothing to look at but this manna."

7And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

7The manna looked like little coriander seeds. Its color was like a pale yellow tree gum.

NoteThe KJV says the manna looked like "bdellium." That is a pale, gum-like sap from a tree.

8And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

8The people walked around and gathered it. They ground it or crushed it into flour. Then they cooked it and made flat cakes. It tasted like cakes baked with good oil.

9And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

9At night, dew fell on the camp. The manna fell along with the dew.

10Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

10Moses heard family after family crying. Each man stood at the door of his tent. The LORD became very angry. Moses was upset too.

11And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

11Moses said to the LORD, "Why have you brought this trouble on me? I serve you. Why are you not pleased with me? You have put the weight of all these people on me.

12Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

12Did I give birth to all these people? Are they my own children? You tell me to carry them close, like a nurse carries a baby. You want me to carry them all the way to the land you promised their fathers.

13Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.

13Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep crying to me, 'Give us meat to eat!'

14I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

14I cannot carry all these people by myself. The load is too heavy for me.

15And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

15If this is how you will treat me, please just kill me now. If you are pleased with me, do it. Then I will not have to see my own misery."

16And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

16The LORD said to Moses, "Bring me seventy of Israel's elders. Elders are older men who lead the people. Pick ones you know are true leaders. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting to stand there with you.

17And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

17I will come down and talk with you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is on you. I will put that Spirit on them. Then they will help you carry the people's load. You will not carry it alone.

18And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

18Tell the people this: Get yourselves ready for tomorrow. You will eat meat. The LORD heard you crying, 'Who will give us meat? We were better off in Egypt.' So the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it.

19Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

19You will not eat it for just one day, or two days. Not five days, or ten days, or twenty days.

20But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

20You will eat it for a whole month. You will eat until it comes out your nose and makes you sick. This is because you turned away from the LORD, who is with you. You cried in front of him, 'Why did we ever leave Egypt?'"

Note"Loathsome" in the KJV means it made them sick of it.

21And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.

21Moses said, "There are six hundred thousand men here walking with me. And you say you will give them meat for a whole month.

22Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

22Could we kill all our sheep and cattle and have enough? Could we catch all the fish in the sea and have enough?"

23And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

23The LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short to help? Now you will see if my word comes true or not."

24And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.

24So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD said. He gathered seventy of the elders. He had them stand around the tent.

25And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

25The LORD came down in a cloud and spoke to Moses. He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses. He put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. That means they spoke messages from God. But they never did it again.

26But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

26Two of the men had stayed in the camp. One was named Eldad and the other Medad. The Spirit rested on them too. Their names were on the list, but they had not gone to the tent. They spoke God's messages right there in the camp.

27And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

27A young man ran and told Moses. He said, "Eldad and Medad are speaking God's messages in the camp."

28And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

28Joshua son of Nun spoke up. He had helped Moses since he was young. He said, "Moses, my master, make them stop!"

29And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

29Moses said, "Are you upset for my sake? I wish all the LORD's people could speak his messages. I wish the LORD would put his Spirit on every one of them!"

30And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

30Then Moses went back into the camp. The elders of Israel went with him.

31And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

31The LORD sent a wind. It blew birds called quail in from the sea. They dropped near the camp. They lay about three feet deep on the ground. They covered the land a whole day's walk in every direction.

NoteThe KJV says the quail lay "two cubits high." A cubit is about 18 inches, so that is about three feet.

32And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

32The people were up all that day and night, and the next day too. They gathered the quail. Even the one who gathered least got a huge pile. They spread the birds out all around the camp.

NoteThe KJV says each person gathered at least "ten homers." A homer was a large dry measure, so this was many bushels of birds.

33And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

33The meat was still between their teeth. They had not even chewed it yet. The LORD became angry with the people. He struck them with a very bad sickness.

34And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

34So that place was named Kibroth-hattaavah. That is where they buried the people who had craved meat.

35And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

35The people traveled from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth. They stayed at Hazeroth for a while.