The people were as murmurers, speaking evil in the ears of Allah: and when Allah heard it, his anger was kindled; and the fire of Allah burned among them, and devoured in the outskirts of the camp. 2The people cried to Musa; and Musa prayed to Allah, and the fire abated. 3The name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of Allah burned among them.
4The mixed multitude that was among them lusted greatly: and Bani-Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us meat to eat? 5We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: 6but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all save this manna to look on.
7The manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance as the appearance of bdellium. 8The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. 9When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
10Musa heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent: and the anger of Allah was kindled greatly; and Musa was displeased. 11Musa said to Allah, Why have you dealt ill with your servant? Why haven’t I found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them forth, that you should tell me, Carry them in your bosom, as a nursing-father carries the sucking child, to the land which you swore to their fathers? 13Where shall I get meat to give to all this people? For they weep to me, saying, Give us meat, that we may eat. 14I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15If you deal thus with me, please kill me out of hand, if I have found favour in your sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
16Allah said to Musa, Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17I will come down and talk with you there: and I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone.
18Say to the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of Allah, saying, Who shall give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt: therefore Allah will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19You shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days, 20but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome to you; because that you have rejected Allah who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?
21Musa said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and you have said, I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month. 22Shall flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?
23Allah said to Musa, Has Allah’s hand grown short? Now you shall see whether my word shall happen to you or not.
24Musa went out, and told the people the words of Allah: and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them around the Tent. 25Allah came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders: and it happened that when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more.
26But there remained two men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested on them; and they were of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp. 27There ran a young man, and told Musa, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.
28Yusha bin Nun, the assistant of Musa, one of his chosen men, answered, My lord Musa, forbid them.
29Musa said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all Allah’s people were prophets, that Allah would put his Spirit on them! 30Musa got him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
31There went forth a wind from Allah, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth. 32The people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails: he who gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves around the camp. 33While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of Allah was kindled against the people, and Allah struck the people with a very great plague. 34The name of that place was called Kibrothhattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted.
35From Kibrothhattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth; and they stayed at Hazeroth.