Elders Appointed to Aid Moses

Numbers 11

16 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be elders of the people, and their princes; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the testimony that they may stand there with thee. 17 And I will come down and talk with thee there, and I will take of the spirit which is in thee and will put it upon them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. 18 But thou shalt say unto the people, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh, for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was better with us in Egypt. Therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. 19 Ye shall not eat one day nor two days nor five days neither ten days nor twenty days, 20 But even a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and it becomes loathsome unto you, because ye have despised the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, Why have we come forth out of Egypt? 21 Then Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen, and thou hast said, I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month! 22 Shall sheep and oxen be slain for them, to suffice them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? 23 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’s hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

24 And Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and set them round about the tabernacle. 25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke unto him and took of the spirit that was in him and gave it unto the seventy elders, and it came to pass that when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied and did not cease.

26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad, upon whom the spirit also rested; and they were of those that were written, but they had not gone unto the tabernacle; and they began to prophesy in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp. 28 Then Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29 And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? It would be good that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! 30 And Moses withdrew into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

Next Book Next Book