4 Now the zrabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also awept again and said, b“Oh that we had meat to eat! 5 cWe remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”
7 Now dthe manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. 8 eThe people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. fAnd the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. 9 gWhen the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.
10 Moses heard the people hweeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11 iMoses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, j‘Carry them in your bosom, as a knurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land lthat you swore to give their fathers? 13 mWhere am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 nI am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”
Quail and a Plague
31 Then a hwind from the Lord sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside 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 cubits1 above the ground. 32 And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten ihomers.2 And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 jWhile the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and kthe Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. 34 Therefore the name of that place was called lKibroth-hattaavah,3 because there they buried the people who had the craving. 35 mFrom Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to nHazeroth, and they remained at nHazeroth.
