11. He prayed:I am your servant, Lord, so why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this? You've made me responsible for all these people,
12. but they're not my children. You told me to nurse them along and to carry them to the land you promised their ancestors.
13. They keep whining for meat, but where can I get meat for them?
14. This job is too much for me. How can I take care of all these people by myself?
15. If this is the way you're going to treat me, just kill me now and end my miserable life!
16. The Lord said to Moses:Choose seventy of Israel's respected leaders and go with them to the sacred tent.
17. While I am talking with you there, I will give them some of your authority, so they can share responsibility for my people. You will no longer have to care for them by yourself.
18. As for the Israelites, I have heard them complaining about not having meat and about being better off in Egypt. So tell them to make themselves acceptable to me, because tomorrow they will have meat.