The Word Am I

The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

Geneva Bible 1599

- Chapter 11 -

1
When the people became murmurers, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it, therefore his wrath was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed the vtmost parte of the hoste.
2
Then the people cryed vnto Moses: and when Moses praied vnto the Lord, the fire was quenched.
3
And he called the name of that place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burnt among them.
4
And 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?
5
We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt for nought, the cucumbers, and the pepons, and the leekes, and the onions, and the garleke.
6
But 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.
8
The 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.
9
And when the dewe fell downe vpon the hoste in the night, the Man fell with it)

The Complaint of Moses

10
Then 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.
11
And Moses saide vnto the Lord, 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?
12
Haue 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?
13
Where should I haue flesh to giue vnto al this people? for they weepe vnto me, saying, Giue vs flesh that we may eate.
14
I am not able to beare al this people alone, for it is too heauie for me.
15
Therefore 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

16
Then 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, and bring them vnto the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and let them stand there with thee,
17
And 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.
18
Furthermore 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 Lord will giue you flesh, and ye shall eate.
19
Ye shall not eat one day nor two daies, nor fiue daies, neither ten daies, nor twentie dayes,
20
But a whole moneth, vntill it come out at your nostrels, and bee lothesome vnto you, because ye haue contemned the Lord, which is among you, and haue wept before him, saying, Why came we hither out of Egypt?
21
And 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.
22
Shall 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?
23
And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Is the Lordes hand shortened? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe vnto thee, or no.
24
So Moses went out, and told the people the wordes of the Lord, and gathered seuentie men of the Elders of the people, and set them round about the Tabernacle.
25
Then 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: and when the Spirit rested vpon them, then they prophecied, and did not cease.
26
But 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.
27
Then there ranne a yong man, and tolde Moses, and saide, Eldad and Medad doe prophesie in the hoste.
28
And Ioshua the sonne of Nun the seruant of Moses one of his yong men answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
29
But 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.
30
And Moses returned into the hoste, he and the Elders of Israel.

The Quail and the Plague

31
Then there went foorth a winde from the Lord, 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.
32
Then 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.
33
While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth, before it was chewed, euen the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with an exceeding great plague.
34
So the name of the place was called, Kibroth-hattaauah: for there they buried the people that fell a lusting.
35
From Kibroth-hattaauah ye people tooke their iourney to Hazeroth, and abode at Hazeroth.