9. When dew fell on the camp at night, manna fell with it.)
10. Moses heard people from every family crying at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became very angry, and Moses didn’t like it either.
11. So he asked, “Lord, why have you brought me this trouble? How have I displeased you that you put the burden of all these people on me?
12. Am I their mother? Did I give birth to them? Are you really asking me to carry them in my arms—as a nurse carries a baby—all the way to the land you promised their ancestors with an oath?
13. Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep crying for me to give them meat to eat.
14. I can’t take care of all these people by myself. This is too much work for me!
15. If this is how you’re going to treat me, why don’t you just kill me? I can’t face this trouble anymore.”
16. The Lord answered Moses, “Bring me 70 Israelite men who you know are leaders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand with you.
17. I’ll come down and speak with you there. I’ll take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will help you take care of the people. You won’t have to take care of the people alone.
18. Tell the people to get ready for tomorrow. They must be set apart as holy. Then they will eat meat. I, the Lord, heard them crying and saying, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!’ So I will give them meat.
19. They won’t eat it just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or twenty days,
20. but for a whole month, until it comes out of their ears and they’re sick of it. This is because they rejected the Lord who is here among them and cried in front of him, asking, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’ ”
21. But Moses said, “Here I am with 600,000 foot soldiers around me. Yet, you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’
22. Would they have enough if all the flocks and herds were butchered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”
23. The Lord asked Moses, “Is there a limit to the Lord’s power? Now you will see whether or not my words come true.”
24. Moses went out and told the people what the Lord said. He gathered 70 of the leaders of the people and had them stand around the tent.
25. Then the Lord came down in the ⌊column of⌋ smoke and spoke with him. He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on the 70 leaders. When the Spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied, but they never prophesied again.
26. Two men, named Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp. They were on the list with the other leaders but hadn’t gone with them to the tent. The Spirit came to rest on them, too, and they prophesied in the camp.
27. Then a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28. So Joshua, son of Nun, who had been Moses’ assistant ever since he was a young man, spoke up and said, “Stop them, sir!”
29. But Moses asked him, “Do you think you need to stand up for me? I wish all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them.”