Book of the Bee

Historical scan page 85

THE HISTORY OF MOSES ’ ROD. 57 which God promised to give us ; come with us, and we will do thee good but he would not, and returned to Midian. [oo] So the children of Israel went along the road to prepare a dwelling-place for themselves ; and they lifted up their voice with a cry ; and God heard and was angry, and fire went round about them and burnt up the parts round about their camps. They said to Moses, 4 Our soul languishes in this wilderness, and we remember the meats of Egypt ; the fishes and the cucumbers and the melons and the onions and the leeks and the garlic ; and now we have nought save this manna which is before us.’ Now the appearance of manna was like that of coriander seed, and they ground it, and made flat cakes of it ; and its taste was like bread with oil in it. And the Lord heard the voice of the people weeping each one at the door of his tent, and it was grievous to Him. Moses prayed before the Lord and said, £ Why have I not found favour before Thee ? and why hast Thou cast the weight of this people upon me ? Did I beget them ? Either slay me or let me find favour in Thy sight.’ God said to Moses, £ Choose from the elders of the children of Israel seventy men, and gather them together to the tabernacle, and I will come down and speak with thee. And I will take of the spirit and power which is with thee and will lay it upon them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, and thou shalt not bear it by thyself alone ; ’ and Moses told them. Moses gathered together seventy elders from the children of Israel, and the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake with them ; and he took of the spirit and power which was with Moses and laid it upon them, and they prophesied. But two elders of the seventy whose names were written down remained in the camp and did not come ; the name of the one was Eldad, and that of the other Medad ; and they also prophesied in the tabernacle. A young man came and told Moses, and Joshua the son of Nun, the disciple of Moses, said to him, £ My lord, restrain them.’ Moses said, £ Be not jealous ; [rtLfio] would that all the children of Israel were prophets ; for the Spirit of God hath come upon them.5 And Moses said to the children of Israel, £ Because ye have wept and have asked for flesh, behold the Lord will give you flesh to eat ; not one day, nor two, nor five, nor ten, but a month of days shall ye eat, until it goeth out of your nostrils, and becometh nauseous to [II. 2.] l