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.”
30. Then Moses and the leaders went back to the camp.
31. The Lord sent a wind from the sea that brought quails and dropped them all around the camp. There were quails on the ground about three feet deep as far as you could walk in a day in any direction.
32. All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered the quails. No one gathered less than 60 bushels. Then they spread the quails out all around the camp.
33. While the meat was still in their mouths—before they had even had a chance to chew it—the Lord became angry with the people and struck them with a severe plague.
34. That place was called Kibroth Hattaavah [Graves of Those Who Craved ⌊Meat⌋] because there they buried the people who had a strong craving ⌊for meat⌋.