Numbers 11:13-22

13Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep crying for me to give them meat to eat.

14I can’t take care of all these people by myself. This is too much work for me!

15If this is how you’re going to treat me, why don’t you just kill me? I can’t face this trouble anymore.”

16The Lord answered Moses, “Bring me 70 Israelite men who you know are leaders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand with you.

17I’ll come down and speak with you there. I’ll take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will help you take care of the people. You won’t have to take care of the people alone.

18Tell the people to get ready for tomorrow. They must be set apart as holy. Then they will eat meat. I, the Lord, heard them crying and saying, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!’ So I will give them meat.

19They won’t eat it just for one or two days, or five, or ten, or twenty days,

20but for a whole month, until it comes out of their ears and they’re sick of it. This is because they rejected the Lord who is here among them and cried in front of him, asking, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’ ”

21But Moses said, “Here I am with 600,000 foot soldiers around me. Yet, you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’

22Would they have enough if all the flocks and herds were butchered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”