Bamidbar (Numbers) — 11

The People Complain to Musha 

1 Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH heard everything they said. Then the anger of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH blazed against them, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp. 

2 Then the people screamed to Musha for help, and when Musha prayed to  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, the fire stopped. 

3 After that, the area was known as Tabarah (which means “the place of burning”), because fire from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had burned among them there.

4 Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Yasharalym began to crave the good things of Mitzraym, and the people of Yashar'AL also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. 

5 “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Mitzraym, and we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. 

6 But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”

7 The manna looked like small coriander seeds, and it was pale yellow like gum resin. 

8 The people would go out and gather it from the ground. They made flour by grinding it with hand mills or pounding it in mortars. Then they boiled it in a pot and made it into flat cakes. These cakes tasted like pastries baked with olive oil. 

9 The manna came down on the camp with the dew during the night.

10 Musha heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH became extremely angry. Musha was also very aggravated. 

11 And Musha said to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? 

12 Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? 

13 Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 

14 I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! 

15 If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”

Musha Chooses Seventy Leaders

16 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, “Gather before me seventy men who are recognized as elders and leaders of Yashar'AL. Bring them to the Tabernacle to stand there with you. 

17 I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Ruach that is upon you, and I will put the Ruach upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone.

18 “And say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH heard you when you cried, “Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Mitzraym!” Now 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. 

19 And it will not be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. 

20 You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Mitzraym?”

21 But Musha responded to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, “There are 600,000 foot soldiers here with me, and yet you say, ‘I will give them meat for a whole month!’ 

22 Even if we butchered all our flocks and herds, would that satisfy them? Even if we caught all the fish in the sea, would that be enough?”

23 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, “Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!”

24 So Musha went out and reported the words of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH to the people. Musha gathered the seventy elders and stationed them around the Tabernacle. 

25 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH came down in the cloud and Dabar to Musha. Then he gave the seventy elders the same Ruach that was upon Musha. And when the Ruach rested upon them, they prophesied. But this never happened again.

26 Two men, Aldad and Madad, had stayed behind in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but they had not gone out to the Tabernacle. Yet the Ruach rested upon them as well, so they prophesied there in the camp.

27 A young man ran and reported to Musha, “Aldad and Madad are prophesying in the camp!”

28 Yahusha son of Nun, who had been Musha’ assistant since his youth, protested, “Musha, my master, make them stop!”

29 But Musha replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the people of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH were Nabym (prophets) and that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH would put his Ruach upon them all!” 

30 Then Musha returned to the camp with the elders of Yashar'AL.

YAHUAH Sends Quail

31 Now 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall all around the camp. For miles in every direction there were quail flying about three feet above the ground. 

32 So the people went out and caught quail all that day and throughout the night and all the next day, too. No one gathered less than fifty bushels! They spread the quail all around the camp to dry. 

33 But while they were gorging themselves on the meat, while it was still in their mouths, the anger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH blazed against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. 

34 So that place was called Kibruth-hattaabah (which means “graves of gluttony”) because there they buried the people who had craved meat from Mitzraym. 

35 From Kibruth-hattaabah the Yasharalym traveled to Hazaruth, where they stayed for some time.