1. The people weren't happy about the hard times they were having. The Lord heard what they were saying. It made him burn with anger. Then the Lord sent fire on them. It blazed out among the people. It burned up some of the outer edges of the camp.
2. The people cried out to Moses. Then he prayed to the Lord. And the fire died down.
3. So that place was named Taberah. That's because fire from the Lord had blazed out among them there.
4. Some people who were with them began to long for other food. Again the people of Israel began to cry out. They said, "We wish we had meat to eat.
5. We remember the fish we ate in Egypt. It didn't cost us anything. We also remember the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.
6. But now we've lost all interest in eating. We never see anything but this manna!"
7. The manna was like coriander seeds. It looked like sap from a tree.
8. The people went around gathering it. Then they ground it in a small mill they held in their hands. Or they crushed it in a stone bowl. They cooked it in a pot. Or they made cakes out of it. It tasted like something made with olive oil.
9. When the dew came down on the camp at night, the manna also came down.
10. Moses heard people from every family crying. They were sobbing at the entrances to their tents. The Lord burned with hot anger. So Moses became troubled.
11. He asked the Lord, "Why have you brought this trouble on me? Why aren't you pleased with me? Why have you loaded me down with the troubles of all of these people?
12. "Am I like a mother to them? Are they my children? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms? Do I have to carry them the way a nurse carries a baby? Do I have to carry them to the land you promised? You took an oath and promised the land to their people of long ago.
13. "Where can I get meat for all of these people? They keep crying out to me. They say, 'Give us meat to eat!'
14. I can't carry all of these people by myself. The load is too heavy for me.
15. "Is this how you are going to treat me? If you are pleased with me, just put me to death right now. Don't let me live if I have to see myself destroyed anyway."
16. The Lord said to Moses, "Bring me 70 of Israel's elders. Bring men that you know are leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting. I want them to stand there with you.