And the people waxed unpatient, {complained} and it displeased the ears
of the LORD. And when the LORD heard it he was wroth, and the fire of
the LORD burnt among them and consumed the uttermost of the host. And
the people cried unto Moses, and he made intercession unto the LORD and
the fire quenched. And they called the name of the place Tabera because
the fire of the LORD burnt among them. And the rascal people that was
among them fell a lusting. And the children of Israel also went to and
wept and said: who shall give us flesh to eat? we remember the fish
which we should eat in Egypt for nought, and of the Cucumbers and
melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now our souls are dried away, for
our eyes look on nothing else, save upon Manna. The Manna was as it had
been coriander seed, and to see to like Bedellion. And the people went
about and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars
and boke it in pans and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like
unto the taste of an oilcake. And when the dew fell about the host in
the night, the manna fell therewith. And when Moses heard the people
weep in their households every man in the door of his tent, then the
wrath of the LORD waxed hot exceedingly: and it grieved Moses also. And
Moses said unto the LORD: wherefore dealest thou so cruelly with thy
servant? wherefore do I not find favour in thy sight, seeing that thou
puttest the weight of this people upon me? have I conceived all this
people, or have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, carry
them in thy bosom (as a nurse beareth the sucking child) unto the land
which thou swarest unto their fathers? where should I have flesh to
give unto all this people? For they weep unto me saying: give us flesh
that we may eat. I am not able to bear all this people alone, for it is
too heavy for me. Wherefore if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray
thee, if I have found favour in thy sight: and let me not see my
wretchedness. And the LORD said unto Moses: gather unto me seventy of
the elders of Israel, which thou knowest that they are the elders of
the people and officers over them, and bring them unto the tabernacle
of witness, and let them stond there with thee. And I will come down
and talk with thee there, and take of the spirit which is upon thee and
put upon them, and they shall bear with thee in the burthen of the
people, and so shalt thou not bear alone. And say unto the people:
hallow your selves against tomorrow, that ye may eat flesh, for ye have
whined in the ears of the LORD saying: who shall give us flesh to eat,
for we were happy when we were in Egypt? therefore the LORD will give
you flesh, and ye shall eat: Ye shall not eat one day only either two
or five days, either ten or twenty days: but even a month long, and
until it come out at the nostrils of you, that ye be ready to parbreak:
because that ye have cast the LORD aside which is among you, and have
wept before him saying: why came we out of Egypt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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