القراءة بلغتين

وكانَ الشَّعبُ كالمُتَذَمِّرينَ بِخُبثٍ على مسامِعِ الرَّبّ. فسَمِعَ الرَّبُّ وغَضِبَ، فاشتَعَلَت فيهم نارُ الرَّبِّ وأَكَلَت طَرَفَ المُخَيَّم

فَصَرَخَ الشَّعْبُ إِلَى مُوسَى، فَصَلَّى مُوسَى إِلَى الرَّبِّ فَخَمَدَتِ النَّارُ.

فسُمِّيَ ذٰلِكَ المَكانُ «تَبْعيرة»، لأَنَّها ٱشتَعَلَت علَيهم نارُ الرَّبّ

وٱشتَهى الخَليطُ الَّذي فيما بَينَهم شَهوَةً، وعادَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ أَنفُسُهم إِلى البُكاءِ وقالوا: «مَن يُطعِمُنا لَحْمًا؟

فإِنَّنا نَذكُرُ السَّمَكَ الَّذي كُنَّا نأكُلُه في مِصرَ مَجَّانًا والقِثَّاءَ والبِطِّيخَ والكُرَّاثَ والبَصَلَ والثُّوم

والآنَ فأَحْلاقُنا جافَّة، ولا شَيءَ أَمامَ عُيونِنا غَيرَ المَنّ»

وكانَ المَنُّ كبِزْرِ الكُزبُرَة، ومَنظَرُه مَنظَرُ المُقْل

وكانَ الشَّعبُ يَتَفَرَّقُ فيَلتَقِطُه ويَطحَنُه بِالرَّحى أَو يَدُقُّه في الهاوَن ويَطبُخُه في القِدْرِ ويَصنَعُه فَطائِر، وكانَ طَعْمُه كَطَعْمِ قَطائِفَ بِزَيت

وكانَ عِندَ نُزولِ النَّدى على المُخَيَّمِ لَيلًا يَنزِلُ المَنُّ علَيه

فلَمَّا سَمِعَ موسى الشَّعبَ يَبْكونَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ في عَشيرَتِه وعلى بابِ خَيمَتِه، وقد غَضِبَ الرَّبُّ جِدًّا، ساءَ ذٰلك موسى

فقالَ موسى لِلرَّبّ: «لِمَ أَسأتَ إِلى عَبدِكَ، ولِمَ لَم أَنَلْ حُظوَةً في عَينَيكَ، حتَّى أَلقَيتَ عَلَيَّ عِبْءَ هٰذا الشَّعبِ كُلِّه؟

أَلَعَلِّي أَنا حَمَلتُ هٰذا الشَّعبَ كُلَّه، أَم لَعَلِّي وَلَدتُه حتَّى تَقولَ لي: إِحمِلْه في حِضنِكَ، كما تَحمِلُ الحاضِنُ الرَّضيع، إِلى الأَرضِ الَّتي أَقسَمتَ لآبائِه علَيها؟

مِن أَينَ لي لَحْمٌ أُعْطيه لِهٰذا الشَّعْبِ كُلِّه، فإِنَّه يَبْكي لَدَيَّ ويَقول: أَعطِنا لَحْمًا فنَأكُلَه

لا أُطيقُ أَن أَحمِلَ هٰذا الشَّعبَ كُلَّه وَحْدي، لأَنَّه ثَقيلٌ عَلَيَّ

والآنَ فإِن كُنتَ فاعِلًا بي هٰكذا، فٱقتُلْني، أَسأَلُكَ، ٱقتُلْني إِن نِلتُ حُظوَةً في عَينَيكَ، ولا أَرى بَلِيَّتي»

فقالَ الرَّبُّ لِموسى: «إِجمَعْ لي سَبْعينَ رَجُلًا مِن شُيوخِ إِسْرائيلَ الَّذينَ تَعلَمُ أَنَّهم شُيوخُ الشَّعْبِ وكَتَبَتُهم، وخُذْهم إِلى خَيمَةِ المَوعِد، فيَقِفوا هُناكَ مَعَكَ

فأَنزِلُ أَنا وأَتَكَلَّمُ معَكَ هُناكَ وآخُذُ مِنَ الرُّوحِ الَّذي علَيكَ وأُحِلُّه علَيهم، فيَحمِلونَ معَكَ عِبْءَ الشَّعبِ ولا تَحمِلُه أَنتَ وَحدَكَ

وقُلْ لِلشَّعْبِ: تَقَدَّسْ لِلْغَد، فسَتأكُلُ لَحْمًا لأَنَّكَ بَكَيتَ على مَسامِعِ الرَّبِّ وقُلتَ: مَن يُطعِمُنا لَحْمًا فقَد كُنَّا بِخَيرٍ في مِصْر. فالرَّبُّ يُعْطيكَ لَحْمًا فتَأكُل

لا يَومًا تأكُلُ ولا يَومَينِ ولا خَمسَةَ أَيَّامٍ ولا عَشَرَةَ أَيَّامٍ ولا عِشْرينَ يَومًا

بل شَهرًا كامِلًا، إِلى أَن يَخرُجَ مِن أَنفِكَ وتَتَقَزَّزَ مِنه، لأَنَّكَ نَبَذتَ الرَّبَّ الَّذي في وَسْطِكَ وبَكَيتَ في وَجهِه وقُلتَ: لِمَ خَرَجْنا مِن مِصْر؟»

فقالَ موسى: «إِنَّ الشَّعبَ الَّذي أَنا في وَسْطه هو سِتُّ مِئَةِ أَلْفِ راجِل، وأَنتَ قُلتَ: إِنِّي أُعْطيه لَحْمًا يَأكُلُه شَهرًا كامِلًا

أَفيُذبَحُ لَه غَنَمٌ وبَقَرٌ فيَكْفِيَه؟ أَو يُجمَعُ لَه سَمَكُ البَحرِ كُلُّه فيَكْفِيَه؟»

فقالَ الرَّبُّ لِموسى: «أَيَدُ الرَّبِّ تَقصُرُ الآنَ عن ذٰلك؟ الآنَ تَرى هَل يَتِمُّ لَكَ كَلامي أَم لا»

فخَرَجَ موسى وأَخبَرَ الشَّعبَ بِكَلامِ الرَّبّ، وجَمَعَ سَبْعينَ رَجُلًا مِن شُيوخِ الشَّعبِ وأَقامَهم حَوالَيِ الخَيمة

فنَزَلَ الرَّبُّ في الغَمام وخاطَبَ موسى، وأَخَذَ مِنَ الرُّوحِ الَّذي علَيه وأَحَلَّه على الرِّجالِ السَّبعين، أَيِ الشُّيوخ. فلَمَّا ٱستَقَرَّ الرُّوحُ علَيهم، تَنَبَّأُوا، إِلَّا أَنَّهم لم يَستَمِرُّوا

وبَقِيَ رَجُلانِ في المَخَيَّم، اِسمُ أَحَدِهما أَلْداد وٱسمُ الثَّاني مَيداد. فٱستَقَرَّ الرُّوحُ علَيهما لأَنَّهما كانا مِنَ المُسَجَّلينَ في اللَّائِحَة، ولكِنَّهما لم يَخرُجا إِلى الخَيمة، فتَنَبَّآ في المُخَيَّم

فأَسرَعَ فتًى وأَخبَرَ موسى وقال: «إِنَّ أَلْدادَ ومَيدادَ يَتَنَبَّآنِ في المُخَيَّم»

فأَجابَ يَشوعُ بنُ نون، وهو مُساعِدُ موسى مُنذُ حَداثَتِه، وقال: «يا سَيِّدي، يا موسى، اِمْنَعْهما»

فقالَ لَه موسى: «أَلعَلَّكَ تَغارُ أَنتَ لي؟ لَيتَ كُلَّ شَعبِ الرَّبِّ أَنبِياءُ بِإِحْلالِ الرَّبِّ روحَه علَيهم»

ثُمَّ عادَ موسى إِلى المُخَيَّم، هو وشُيوخُ إِسْرائيل

وهَبَّت ريحٌ مِن لَدُنِ الرَّبّ، فساقَت سَلْوى مِنَ البَحرِ وأَلْقَته على المُخَيَّمِ على مَسيرةِ يَومٍ مِن هُنا ويَومٍ مِن هُناكَ حَوالَيِ المُخَيَّم، على نَحوِ ذِراعَينِ عن وَجهِ الأَرض

فأَقامَ الشَّعبُ يَومَه كُلَّه ولَيلَتَه وغَدَه يَجمَعُ السَّلْوى. فجَمَعَ أَقَلُّه عَشرَةَ أَحْمار، فسَطَحَها لَه حَوالَيِ المُخَيَّم

وبَينَما اللَّحْمُ لا يَزالُ بَينَ أَسْنانِه قَبلَ أَن يَمضَغَه، إِذ غَضِبَ الرَّبُّ على الشَّعْب، فضَرَبَه الرَّبُّ ضَربَةً شَديدةً جِدًّا

فسُمِّيَ ذٰلك المَكانُ «قِبْروت هَتَأَوَه»، لأَنَّهم دَفَنوا فيه النَّاسَ الَّذينَ ٱشتَهَوا شَهوَةً

ورَحَلَ الشَّعبُ مِن «قِبْروت هَتَأَوَه» إِلى حَصيروت، فأَقاموا هُناك

The people were complaining in the ears of the LORD. When the LORD heard it, his anger burned; and the LORD’s fire burned among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.

The people cried to Moses; and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire abated.

The name of that place was called Taberah, because the LORD’s fire burned among them.

The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, “Who will give us meat to eat?

We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic;

but now we have lost our appetite. There is nothing at all except this manna to look at.”

The manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium.

The people went around, gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it. Its taste was like the taste of fresh oil.

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

Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent; and the LORD’s anger burned greatly; and Moses was displeased.

Moses said to the LORD, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why haven’t I found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?

Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them out, that you should tell me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which you swore to their fathers’?

Where could I get meat to give all these people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’

I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

If you treat me this way, please kill me right now, if I have found favor in your sight; and don’t let me see my wretchedness.”

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 stand there with you.

I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you don’t bear it yourself alone.

“Say to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, and you will eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat.

You will not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days,

but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”’”

Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month.’

Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?”

The LORD said to Moses, “Has the LORD’s hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not.”

Moses went out, and told the people the LORD’s words; and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them around the Tent.

The LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more.

But two men remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad; and the Spirit rested on them. They were of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp.

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

Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, “My lord Moses, forbid them!”

Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”

Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

A wind from the LORD went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by 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 cubits above the surface of the earth.

The people rose up all that day, and all of that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them all out for themselves around the camp.

While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the LORD’s anger burned against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague.

The name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted.

From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth; and they stayed at Hazeroth.