Liber Numeri 11

1 Interea ortum est murmur populi, quasi dolentium pro labore, contra Dominum. Quod cum audisset Dominus, iratus est. Et accensus in eos ignis Domini devoravit extremam castrorum partem.

Now the people complained about their troubles as Yahweh listened. Yahweh heard the people and became angry. Fire from Yahweh burned among them and consumed some of the camp on its edges.

2 Cumque clamasset populus ad Moysen, oravit Moyses ad Dominum, et absorptus est ignis.

Then people called out to Moses, so Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire stopped.

3 Vocavitque nomen loci illius, Incensio: eo quod incesus fuisset contra eos ignis Domini.

That place was named Taberah, because Yahweh's fire burned among them.

4 Vulgus quippe promiscuum, quod ascenderat cum eis, flagravit desiderio, sedens et flens, iunctis sibi pariter filiis Israel, et ait: Quis dabit nobis ad vescendum carnes?

Some foreign people began to camp with Israel's descendants. They wanted better food to eat. Then the people of Israel began to weep and say, “Who will give us meat to eat?

5 Recordamur piscium quos comedebamus in Ægypto gratis: in mentem nobis veniunt cucumeres, et pepones, porrique, et cepe, et allia.

We remember the fish that we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.

6 Anima nostra arida est, nihil aliud respiciunt oculi nostri nisi Man.

Now our appetite is gone, because all we can see is this manna.”

7 Erat autem Man quasi semen coriandri, coloris bdellii.

Manna was like coriander seed. It looked like resin.

8 Circuibatque populus, et colligens illud, frangebat mola, sive terebat in mortario, coquens in olla, et faciens ex eo tortulas saporis quasi panis oleati.

The people walked around and gathered it. They ground it in mills, beat it in mortars, boiled it in pots, and made it into cakes. It tasted like fresh olive oil.

9 Cumque descederet nocte super castra ros, descendebat pariter et Man.

When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna also fell.

10 Audivit ergo Moyses flentem populum per familias, singulos per ostia tentorii sui. Iratusque est furor Domini valde: sed et Moysi intoleranda res visa est.

Moses heard the people weeping in their families, and every man was at the entrance to his tent. Yahweh was very angry, and in Moses' eyes their complaining was wrong.

11 et ait ad Dominum: Cur afflixisti servum tuum? quare non invenio gratiam coram te? et cur imposuisti pondus universi populi huius super me?

Moses said to Yahweh, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why are you not pleased with me? You make me carry the load of all these people.

12 Numquid ego concepi omnem hanc multitudinem, vel genui eam, ut dicas mihi: Porta eos in sinu tuo sicut portare solet nutrix infantulum, et defer in terram, pro qua iurasti patribus eorum?

Did I conceive all these people? Have I given them birth so that you should say to me, 'Carry them closely to your chest as a father carries a baby?' Should I carry them to the land that you swore to their ancestors to give them?

13 Unde mihi carnes ut dem tantæ multitudini? flent contra me, dicentes: Da nobis carnes ut comedamus.

Where can I find meat to give to all this people? They are weeping in front of me and are saying, 'Give us meat to eat.'

14 Non possum solus sustinere omnem hunc populum, quia gravis est mihi.

I cannot bear all these people alone. They are too much for me.

15 Sin aliter tibi videtur, obsecro ut interficias me, et inveniam gratiam in oculis tuis, ne tantis afficiar malis.

Since you are treating me this way, kill me now—if I find favor in your eyes—do not let me see my misery.”

16 Et dixit Dominus ad Moysen: Congrega mihi septuaginta viros de senibus Israel, quos tu nosti quod senes populi sint ac magistri: et duces eos ad ostium tabernaculi fœderis, faciesque ibi stare tecum,

Yahweh said to Moses, “Bring to me seventy of Israel's elders. Be sure that they are elders and officers of the people. Bring them to the tent of meeting to stand there with you.

17 ut descendam et loquar tibi: et auferam de spiritu tuo, tradamque eis, ut sustentent tecum onus populi, et non tu solus graveris.

I will come down and talk with you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will bear the burden of the people with you. You will not have to bear it alone.

18 Populo quoque dices: Sanctificamini: cras comedetis carnes. ego enim audivi vos dicere: Quis dabit nobis escas carnium? bene nobis erat in Ægypto. Ut det vobis Dominus carnes, et comedatis:

Say to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow and you will indeed eat meat, for you have wept and Yahweh has heard. You said, “Who will give us meat to eat? It was good for us in Egypt.” Therefore Yahweh will give you meat, and you will eat it.

19 non uno die, nec duobus, vel quinque aut decem, nec viginti quidem,

You will not eat meat for only one day, two days, five days, ten days, or twenty days,

20 sed usque ad mensem dierum, donec exeat per nares vestras, et vertatur in nauseam, eo quod replueritis Dominum, qui in medio vestri est, et fleveritis coram eo, dicentes: Quare egressi sumus ex Ægypto?

but you will eat meat for a whole month until it comes out of your nostrils. It will disgust you because you have rejected Yahweh, who is among you. You have wept before him. You said, “Why did we leave Egypt?”'”

21 Et ait Moyses: Sexcenta millia peditum huius populi sunt. et tu dicis: Dabo eis esum carnium mense integro?

Then Moses said, “I am with 600,000 people, and you have said, 'I will give them meat to eat for a whole month.'

22 Numquid ovium et boum multitudo cædetur, ut possit sufficere ad cibum? vel omnes pisces maris in unum congregabuntur, ut eos satient?

Should we kill flocks and herds to satisfy them? Should we catch all the fish in the sea to satisfy them?”

23 Cui respondit Dominus: Numquid manus Domini invalida est? Iam nunc videbis utrum meus sermo opere compleatur.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Is my hand short? Now you will see whether or not my word is true.”

24 Venit igitur Moyses, et narravit populo verba Domini, congregans septuaginta viros de senibus Israel, quos stare fecit circa tabernaculum.

Moses went out and told the people Yahweh's words. He gathered seventy of the people's elders and positioned them around the tent.

25 Descenditque Dominus per nubem, et locutus est ad eum, auferens de spiritu qui erat in Moyse, et dans septuaginta viris. Cumque requievisset in eis Spiritus, prophetaverunt, nec ultra cessaverunt.

Yahweh came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Yahweh took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but only on that occasion and not again.

26 Remanserat autem in castris duo viri, quorum unus vocabatur Eldad, et alter Medad, super quos requievit Spiritus. nam et ipsi descripti fuerant, et non exierant ad tabernaculum.

Two men remained in the camp, named Eldad and Medad. The Spirit also rested on them. Their names were written on the list, but they had not gone out to the tent. Nevertheless, they prophesied in the camp.

27 Cumque prophetarent in castris, cucurrit puer, et nunciavit Moysi, dicens: Eldad et Medad prophetant in castris.

A young man in the camp ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

28 Statim Iosue filius Nun, minister Moysi, et electus e pluribus, ait: Domine mi Moyses prohibe eos.

Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant, one of his chosen men, said to Moses, “My master Moses, stop them.”

29 At ille: Quid, inquit, æmularis pro me? quis tribuat ut omnis populus prophetet, et det eis Dominus Spiritum suum?

Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all of Yahweh's people were prophets and that he would put his Spirit on them all!”

30 Reversusque est Moyses, et maiores natu Israel in castra.

Then Moses and the elders of Israel went back to the camp.

31 Ventus autem egrediens a Domino arreptans trans mare coturnices detulit, et demisit in castra itinere quantum uno die confici potest, ex omni parte castrorum per circuitum, volabantque in aere duobus cubitis altitudine super terram.

Then a wind came from Yahweh and brought quail from the sea. They fell near the camp, about a day's journey on one side and a day's journey on the other side. The quail surrounded the camp about two cubits above the ground.

32 Surgens ergo populus toto die illo, et nocte, ac die altero, congregavit coturnicum, qui parum, decem coros: et siccaverunt eas per gyrum castrorum.

The people were busy gathering quail all that day, all the night, and all the next day. No one gathered less than ten homers of quail. They shared the quail all through the camp.

33 Adhuc carnes erant in dentibus eorum, nec defecerat huiuscemodi cibus: et ecce furor Domini concitatus in populum, percussit eum plaga magna nimis.

While the meat was still between their teeth, while they were chewing it, Yahweh became angry at them. He attacked the people with a very great disease.

34 Vocatusque est ille locus, Sepulchra concupiscentiæ: ibi enim sepelierunt populum qui desideraverat.

That place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved meat.

35 Egressi autem de Sepulchris concupiscentiæ, venerunt in Haseroth, et manserunt ibi.

From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth, where they stayed.