The people were like complainers; [it was] wicked in the ears of Adonoy. Adonoy heard and His Anger flared and the fire of Adonoy burned among them and consumed [some] of the outcasts of the camp.

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 burned among them, and consumed those who were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

And the people, [the wicked ones,] were as seekers of a pretext [to forsake Him], that was evil in the ears of the L-rd [i.e., that would antagonize Him when it reached His ears and would provoke Him. They said: "Woe unto us — how this three-days journey has wearied us!"] And the L-rd heard and His wrath was kindled [(He said:) I did this for your own good, so that you would enter the land immediately! (see 10:33)], and the fire of the L-rd burned in them, and it devoured in the "end" of the camp [i.e., the lowest among them, the eirav rav (the mixed multitude)].

The people cried out to Moshe, and Moshe prayed to Adonoy, and the fire subsided.

And the people cried out to Moshe; but Moshe prayed to the Lord, and the fire was quenched.

And the people cried out to Moses [to intercede for them], and Moses prayed to the L-rd, and the fire sank [in its place, into the earth. (Had it retreated, it would have consumed that area.)]

He called the name of that place Taveirah, for it was there that burned among them the fire of Adonoy.

And he called the name of the place Tav῾era: because the fire of the Lord burned among them.

And he called the name of that place "Taveirah" (conflagration), for the fire of the L-rd burned in them.

The collection [of nationalities] among them began to have strong cravings, and Bnei Yisroel turned and began to weep; and they said “Who will feed us meat?

And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Yisra᾽el also wept again, and said, Who shall give us meat to eat?

And the rabble that was among them [the mixed multitude that had gathered unto them in Egypt] lusted lust, and the children of Israel also wept again [with them], and they said: "Who shall give us flesh to eat!" [(They had flesh [see Exodus 12:38 and Numbers 32:1] — they were only seeking a pretext)].

We remember the fish which we ate in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, onions and garlic.

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Miżrayim for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:

We remember the fish that we would eat in Egypt, free [of mitzvoth], the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. [The (flavor of the) manna would change into any (flavor they desired) except these, for they are harmful to nursing women.]

Now our bodies are withered, there is nothing at all, but the manna before our eyes.”

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

And now, our souls are dry; there is nothing. Only to the manna is our eyes [Manna in the morning; manna in the evening!]

The manna was like coriander seed and it is similiar to the appearance of crystal.

And the manna was like coriander seed, and its colour was like the colour of bdellium.

[What follows is an "interjection" by the Holy One Blessed be He, viz.: See what My children are railing against!] The manna was [round] like coriander seed, and it looked like crystal.

The people [merely] strolled about and they gathered it and they ground it with a millstone or crushed it in mortars and cooked it in pots and made cakes out of it. Its taste was like the taste of cake kneaded with oil.

And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and boiled it in a pot, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was like the taste of oil cake.

The people would stroll out and gather it [effortlessly], and they would grind it in a mill, or beat it in a mortar, or cook it in a pot [i.e., they could make it taste as if it had been ground in a mill, etc.], and they made cakes of it; and its taste was like the "sap" of oil.

When the dew would descend on the camp, at night, the manna would descend on it.

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

And when the dew descended upon the camp at night, the manna descended upon it.

Moshe heard the people weep according to their families, at the door of each one’s tent. The Anger of Adonoy was greatly aroused and in Moshe’s eyes, it was evil.

And Moshe heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord burned greatly; Moshe also was displeased.

And Moses heard the people weeping by its families, [who gathered together to air their plaints], each at the door of his tent. And the L-rd was extremely wroth, and in the eyes of Moses it was evil.

Moshe said to Adonoy: “Why have you dealt poorly with Your servant, and why have I not found favor in Your eyes that You place the burden of the entire people upon me?

And Moshe said to the Lord, Why hast thou afflicted thy servant? and why have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layst the burden of all this people upon me?

And Moses said to the L-rd: Why have You done evil to Your servant, and why have I not found favor in Your eyes, to place the burden of all this people upon me!

Have I conceived this entire people? have I given birth to it that You say to me, carry it in your lap as a nurse carries an infant, to the land which You swore to their forefathers?

Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldst say to me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father carries the sucking child, to the land which thou hast sworn to their fathers?

Did I conceive all this people? Did I beget them, that You say to me: Bear them in your bosom, as a nurse bears a nursling, to the land which You promised to their fathers? [see Exodus 32:34 and 6:13].

From where do I have meat to give to this entire people on account of which they cry to me, saying: “Give us meat and we shall eat.”

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

Whence am I to take flesh to give to all this people? For they weep over me, saying: Give us flesh and let us eat!

I alone can not carry this entire people, for they are too burdensome for me.

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

I shall not be able to bear alone all this people, for it is beyond my strength.

If this is the way You treat me, please kill me, if I have found favor in Your eyes; so that I will not see my evil.”

And 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 own wretchedness.

And if thus [You will do to them (The L-rd showed Moses the calamity that He was going to bring upon them)], You are rendering me "at" [(a term for the feminine), Moses' strength waning as that of a woman]. Kill me, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your eyes, and let me not witness my [(a "euphemism" for "their")] evil.

Adonoy said to Moshe: “Gather seventy men for Me, from among the elders of Israel, [men] whom you know to be the people’s elders, and its officers, and you shall take them to the Tent of Meeting, and they shall stand there with you.

And the Lord said to Moshe, Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Yisra᾽el, whom thou knowst 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 thee.

And the L-rd said to Moses [Here is My response to your "I shall not be able to bear alone"]: Gather unto Me seventy men from the elders of Israel [(The original elders had been killed at Taveirah in delayed retribution for their sin [see Exodus 24:11] (delayed so as not to dampen the joy of the giving of the Torah)], whom you know to be the elders of the people and its officers, [who were appointed over them in Egypt (Since they pitied them and were smitten by the Egyptians because of them, it is only fitting that they be raised in Israel's greatness as they shared in its woes.)], and take them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand there with you, [so that the people see, and accord them honor, saying: How beloved these must be, who entered with Moses to hear the Word from the mouth of the Holy One Blessed be He!]

I will descend and speak there with you, and I will make greater the spirit which is upon you, and place it on them, and they will bear, along with you, the burden of the people so that you need not bear it alone.

And 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.

And I shall go down and speak with you, [but not with them,] there. And I shall increase, from the spirit which is upon you, and I will place it upon them, [as all take light from a lamp on a menorah, without that lamp losing any of its own light.] And they shall bear with you the burden of the people [Stipulate with them: (This grandeur is being accorded them) on condition that they take upon themselves the wardship of My children, who are troublesome and refractory], and you shall not bear alone. [Thus, the response to "I shall not be able to bear alone."]

You shall say to the people, prepare yourselves for the morrow and you shall eat meat, for you have cried in the ears of Adonoy, saying: “Who will feed us meat; we had it good in Egypt;” [now] Adonoy gives you meat and you shall eat.

And say to the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and you shall eat meat: for you have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us meat to eat? for it was well with us in Miżrayim: therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat.

And to the people shall you say: Prepare yourselves for [retribution] tomorrow, and you shall eat flesh. For you have wept in the ears of the L-rd, saying: Who shall feed us flesh? For it was good for us in Egypt. And the L-rd shall give you flesh and you shall eat.

Not for one day will you be eating and not for two days; not for five days, not for ten days, and not for twenty days.

Not one day shall you eat, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days;

Not one day shall you eat, and not two days, and not five days, and not ten days, and not twenty days.

But rather for a month of days, until it comes out of your nostrils and it will be repulsive to you; [this is] because you have rejected Adonoy Who is among you, and you have cried before Him, saying: “Why have we come out from Egypt?”

but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome to you: because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why did we come out of Miżrayim?

Until a month of days [(this, with the less wicked, who languished in their beds and their souls expired, see 33)], until it comes out of your nostrils [i.e., until it becomes loathsome to you], and it will be rejected by you [more than you sought it]. For you have despised the L-rd who is in your midst [(Had I not reposed My shechinah among you, your hearts would not have been "inflated" unto all these things)], and you have wept before Him, saying: Why, now, did we leave Egypt!

Moshe said: “The people are six hundred thousand on foot that I am among and You say that I will give them meat, to eat it for a month of days?

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

And Moses said: Six hundred thousand foot are the people in whose midst I am, and You say: Meat shall I give to them, and they shall eat a month of days!

Will sheep and cattle be slaughtered for them would that be sufficient for them? If all the fish of the sea would be gathered for them, would that be sufficient for them?”

Shall 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?

If flocks and herds are slaughtered for them, will it be sufficient for them! If all the fish of the sea are gathered for them, will it be sufficient for them! [i.e., even if You give them what they ask, they will not be satisfied, for they are simply seeking a pretext against You.]

Adonoy said to Moshe: “Has the Hand of Adonoy become short ? Now you will see if My words will occur unto you or not.”

And the Lord said to Moshe, Is the Lord’s hand too short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass to thee or not.

And the L-rd said to Moses: Shall the hand of the L-rd be found wanting? [i.e., If I do not give it, they will call My omnipotence into question. At this, Moses said: Let me go and attempt to conciliate them — whereupon the L-rd said:] Now You will see whether My word [that they will not heed you] will befall you or not.

Moshe went out and spoke the words of Adonoy to the people, and he gathered seventy men from the elders of the people and he had them stand around the Tent.

And Moshe went out, and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tent.

And Moses went out and told the people the words of the L-rd, [viz.: "Shall the hand of the L-rd be found wanting?" Did He not give you water from the rock, etc.? (but they did not heed him and denied G-d's ability to satisfy their present need)]; and, [seeing that he was not being heeded], he gathered seventy men from the elders of the people, and he stood them roundabout the tent.

Adonoy descended in a cloud and spoke to him, and He magnified the spirit which was upon him and He gave it unto the seventy men, [who were] the elders. When the spirit came to rest upon them they prophesied, and they did not cease.

And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it to the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, but continued not.

And the L-rd descended in a cloud and He spoke to him, and He increased from the spirit which was upon him [see 17], and He placed it upon the seventy men, the elders. And it was, when the spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied — but [after that day], they prophesied no more.

Two people remained in the camp; one’s name was Eldad and the second one’s name was Meidad. The spirit rested upon them; they were among those inscribed, and they did not go out to the Tent, and they prophesied in the camp.

And 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 to the tent: and they prophesied in the camp.

And there remained two men [of those who had been chosen as elders] in the camp, the name of the one, Eldad; the name of the other, Medad, and the spirit rested upon them. And they were among those [designated as "elders"] on the ballots, but they did not go out to the tent, [saying: We are not worthy of this greatness], and they prophesied in the camp.

The youth ran and told Moshe, and said: “Eldad and Meidad are prophesying in the camp.”

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

And the youth [(some say it was Gershon, the son of Moses)] ran, and told Moses, saying: Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.

Yehoshua the son of Nun answered, [he being] the attendant of Moshe, from his youth, and he said: “My master Moshe, destroy them!”

And Yehoshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moshe from his youth, answered and said, My lord Moshe restrain them.

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses from his youth, responded and said: My Lord Moses, cause them to cease [from prophesying ("Saddle them" with community service and they will cease prophesying of themselves.)]

Moshe said to him, “Are you vengeful for me? Would (that) it be that all Adonoy’s people were prophets, that Adonoy would give His Spirit upon them.”

And Moshe said to him, Enviest thou for my sake? would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

And Moses said to him: Are you zealous for my sake? Would that all the L-rd's people were prophets, that the L-rd would place His spirit upon them!

Moshe entered into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

And Moshe retired into the camp, he and the elders of Yisra᾽el.

And Moses retired [from the tent of meeting] into [his tent in] the camp, he and the elders of Israel. [(The L-rd did not punish Israel until each one of the righteous had entered his tent)].

From Adonoy there gusted a wind and He caused quail to fly from the sea and spread them over the camp, about a day’s journey from this side and about a day’s journey from that side, around the camp, and about two amo¯s above the ground’s surface.

And a wind went out from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and about a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

And a wind went forth from the L-rd and "flew in" quail from the sea, and it spread over the camp, about a day's journey on one side and a day's journey on the other, roundabout the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth. [They hovered chest-high so that they could be easily gathered in.]

The people arose all of that day, the entire night and the entire next day, and they gathered the quail. He who gathered the least amount, gathered ten heaps and they spread them for themselves around the camp.

And 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 a quantity of ten ĥomer: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

And the people rose all that day and all the night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quail. He that gathered least, [the indolent and the lame], gathered ten chamarim (homers), and they spread them in layers roundabout the camp.

The meat was still between their teeth before it was [even] finished, when the wrath of Adonoy was incited upon the people, and Adonoy smote the people an enormous blow.

And while the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was inflamed against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.

The flesh was yet between their teeth [(this, with the wicked, see 10)], not yet consumed, when the wrath of the L-rd burned against the people; and the L-rd smote the people with a very great plague.

He called the name of that place Kivros Hataavoh, for it was there that they buried the people who had these cravings.

And he called the name of that place Qivrot-hatta᾽ava (Graves of Lust): because there they buried the people that lusted.

And he called the name of that place Kivroth Hata'avah ("the graves of the lust"); for there they buried the people that lusted.

From Kivros Hataavoh the people journeyed to Chatzeiros, and they stayed in Chatzeiros.

And the people journeyed from Qivrot-hatta᾽ava to Ḥażerot, and at Ḥażerot they made a stay.

From Kivroth Hata'avah the people traveled to Chatzeiroth, and they abode in Chatzeiroth.