The Complaints of the People

1Vvhen the people became murmurers, it displeased the Lorde: and the Lorde heard it, therefore his wrath was kindled, and the fire of the Lorde burnt among them, and consumed the vtmost parte of the hoste. 2Then the people cryed vnto Moses: and when Moses praied vnto the Lorde, the fire was quenched. 3And he called the name of that place Taberah, because the fire of the Lorde burnt among them.

4And a nomber of people that was amog them, fell a lusting, and turned away, and the children of Israel also wept, and saide, Who shall giue vs flesh to eate? 5We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt for nought, the cucumbers, & the pepons, and the leekes, and the onions, and the garleke. 6But now our soule is dryed away, we can see nothing but this Man.

7(The Man also was as coriander seede, and his colour like the colour of bdelium. 8The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in milles, or beat it in morters, and baked it in a cauldron, and made cakes of it, and the taste of it was like vnto the taste of fresh oyle. 9And when the dewe fell downe vpon the hoste in the night, the Man fell with it)

The Complaint of Moses

10Then Moses heard the people weepe throughout their families, euery man in the doore of his tent, and the wrath of the Lord was grieuously kindled: also Moses was grieued. 11And Moses saide vnto the Lorde, Wherefore hast thou vexed thy seruant? And why haue I not found fauour in thy sight, seeing thou hast put the charge of al this people vpon mee? 12Haue I conceiued al this people? Or haue I begotte them, that thou shouldest say vnto me, Cary them in thy bosome (as a nurse beareth the sucking childe) vnto the lande, for the which thou swarest vnto their fathers? 13Where should I haue flesh to giue vnto al this people? For they weepe vnto me, saying, Giue vs flesh that we may eate. 14I am not able to beare al this people alone, for it is too heauie for me. 15Therefore if thou deale thus with mee, I pray thee, if I haue founde fauour in thy sight, kill me, that I behold not my miserie.

Seventy Elders Anointed

16Then the Lord said vnto Moses, Gather vnto me seuetie men of ye Elders of Israel, whome thou knowest, that they are the Elders of the people, and gouernonrs ouer them, & bring them vnto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and let them stand there with thee, 17And I will come downe, and talke with thee there, and take of the Spirite, which is vpon thee, and put vpon them, and they shall beare the burthen of the people with thee: so thou shalt not beare it alone.

18Furthermore thou shalt saye vnto the people, Bee sanctified against to morowe, and yee shall eate flesh: for you haue wept in the eares of the Lord, saying, Who shall giue vs flesh to eate? For we were better in Egypt: therefore the Lorde will giue you flesh, and ye shall eate. 19Ye shal not eat one day nor two daies, nor fiue daies, neither ten daies, nor twentie dayes, 20But a whole moneth, vntill it come out at your nostrels, and bee lothesome vnto you, because ye haue contemned the Lorde, which is among you, and haue wept before him, saying, Why came we hither out of Egypt?

21And Moses saide, Six hundreth thousande footemen are there of the people, among whom I am: and thou saiest, I will giue them flesh, that they may eate a moneth long. 22Shall the sheepe and the beeues be slaine for them, to finde them? Either shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them? 23And the Lorde saide vnto Moses, Is the Lordes hand shortened? Thou shalt see now whether my word shal come to passe vnto thee, or no.

24So Moses went out, and told the people the wordes of the Lorde, and gathered seuentie men of the Elders of the people, and set them round about the Tabernacle. 25Then the Lord came downe in a cloude, and spake vnto him, and tooke of the Spirit that was vpon him, and put it vpon the seuentie Ancient men: & when the Spirit rested vpon them, then they prophecied, and did not cease.

26But there remained two of the men in the hoste: the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad, and the Spirit rested vpon them, (for they were of them that were written, and went not out vnto the Tabernacle) and they prophecied in the hoste. 27Then there ranne a yong man, and tolde Moses, and saide, Eldad and Medad doe prophesie in the hoste. 28And Ioshua the sonne of Nun the seruant of Moses one of his yong men answered & said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29But Moses saide vnto him, Enuiest thou for my sake? yea, would God that all the Lordes people were Prophets, and that the Lord woulde put his Spirit vpon them. 30And Moses returned into the hoste, he and the Elders of Israel.

The Quail and the Plague

31Then there went foorth a winde from the Lorde, and brought quailes from the Sea, and let them fall vpon the campe, a dayes iourney on this side, and a dayes iourney on the other side, round about the hoste, and they were about two cubites aboue the earth. 32Then the people arose, al that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quailes: he that gathered the least, gathered ten Homers full, and they spred them abroade for their vse round about the hoste. 33While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth, before it was chewed, euen the wrath of the Lorde was kindled against the people, and the Lorde smote the people with an exceeding great plague. 34So the name of the place was called, Kibroth-hattaauah: for there they buried the people that fell a lusting. 35From Kibroth-hattaauah ye people tooke their iourney to Hazeroth, & abode at Hazeroth.