4. The mixed multitude that was among them lusted, and the children of Israel wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat?
5. We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for free, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic.
6. But now our life is dried up. There is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes.”
7. The manna was as coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium.
8. The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it, and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked in oil.
9. When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna fell on it.
10. Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the opening of his tent, and the anger of the Lord burned greatly. Moses was also displeased.
11. Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You hurt Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your eyes, that You lay the burden of all this people on me?
12. Have I conceived all this people? Have I given them birth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse bears the nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers?
13. Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep to me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’
14. I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.
15. If You do this to me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your eyes, and do not let me see my misery.”
16. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, that they may take a stand there with you.
17. And I will come down, and I will speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit which is on you and will put it on them, and they will bear the burden of the people with you, and you will not bear it by yourself.
18. “And say to the people: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, ‘Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.’ Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat.
19. You shall eat, not one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days,
20. but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils, and it will be nauseating to you because you rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, ‘Why did we come out of Egypt?’ ”