Exodus 16

1 On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai.

And they set out from Elim. And the entire multitude of the sons of Israel arrived at the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month, after they departed from the land of Egypt.

2 And there in the desert they all grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

And the entire congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

3 “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”

And the sons of Israel said to them: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat around bowls of meat and ate bread until filled. Why have you led us away, into this desert, so that you might kill the entire multitude with famine?”

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.

Then the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Let the people go out and collect what is sufficient for each day, so that I may test them, as to whether or not they will walk in my law.

5 Then on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

But on the sixth day, let them prepare what they use for carrying, and let there be double what they were accustomed to collect on a single day.”

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

And Moses and Aaron said to the sons of Israel: “In the evening, you will know that the Lord has led you away from the land of Egypt.

7 and in the morning you will see the LORD’s glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we that you should grumble against us?”

And in the morning, you will see the glory of the Lord. For he has heard your murmuring against the Lord. But as for us, truly what are we, that you would whisper against us?”

8 And Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat this evening and bread to fill you in the morning, for He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.”

And Moses said: “In the evening, the Lord will give you flesh to eat, and in the morning, bread in fullness. For he has heard your murmurings that you have murmured against him. For what are we? Your murmuring is not against us, but against the Lord.”

9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of Israel, ‘Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.’”

Moses also said to Aaron: “Say to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Approach before the Lord. For he has heard your murmuring.’”

10 And as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and there in a cloud the glory of the LORD appeared.

And when Aaron spoke to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness. And behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud.

11 Then the LORD said to Moses,

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”

“I have heard the murmuring of the sons of Israel. Say to them: ‘In the evening, you will eat flesh, and in the morning, you will be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

Therefore, it happened in the evening: quails, rising up, covered the camp. Likewise, in the morning, a dew lay all around the camp.

14 When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground.

And when it had covered the face of the earth, it appeared, in the wilderness, small and as if crushed with a pestle, similar to hoar-frost on the ground.

15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

When the sons of Israel had seen it, they said one to another: “Manhu?” which means “What is this?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them: “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. You may take an omer for each person in your tent.’”

This is the word that the Lord has instructed. Let each one collect as much of it as is sufficient to eat. One omer for each head. According to the number of your souls which live in a tent, so will you take of it.”

17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered more, and some less.

And the sons of Israel did so. And they collected: some more, others less.

18 When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.

And they measured by the measure of an omer. He who collected more, did not have too much; nor did he who prepared less, find too little. But each one gathered according to what they were able to eat.

19 Then Moses said to them, “No one may keep any of it until morning.”

And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it behind until morning.”

20 But they did not listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it became infested with maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

And they did not listen to him, but they left some of it behind until morning, and it began to swarm with worms, and it putrefied. And Moses became angry against them.

21 Every morning each one gathered as much as was needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

Then each one collected, in the morning, as much as would be sufficient to eat. And after the sun became hot, it melted.

22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food—two omers per person —and all the leaders of the congregation came and reported this to Moses.

But on the sixth day, they collected a double portion, that is, two omers for each man. Then all the leaders among the multitude came, and they discoursed with Moses.

23 He told them, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Then set aside whatever remains and keep it until morning.’”

And he said to them: “This is what the Lord has spoken: Tomorrow, the rest day of the Sabbath, has been sanctified to the Lord. Whatever would be done, do it now. And whatever would be cooked, cook it now. Then anything that will have been left over, store it until morning.”

24 So they set it aside until morning as Moses had commanded, and it did not smell or contain any maggots.

And they did just as Moses had instructed, and it did not putrefy, nor were there any worms found in it.

25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you will not find anything in the field.

And Moses said: “Eat it today, because it is the Sabbath of the Lord. Today it will not be found in the field.

26 For six days you may gather, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, it will not be there.”

Gather for six days. But on the seventh day, it is the Sabbath of the Lord, for which reason it will not be found.”

27 Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find anything.

And the seventh day arrived. And some of the people, going out to collect it, did not find it.

28 Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and instructions?

Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will you be unwilling to keep my commandments and my law?

29 Understand that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day He will give you bread for two days. On the seventh day, everyone must stay where he is; no one may leave his place.”

See how the Lord has given you the Sabbath, and, because of this, on the sixth day he distributes to you a double portion. Let each one remain with his own, and let no one go forth from his place on the seventh day.”

30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

And the people kept the Sabbath on the seventh day.

31 Now the house of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

And the house of Israel called its name ‘Manna.’ It was like white coriander seed, and its taste was like wheat flour with honey.

32 Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Keep an omer of manna for the generations to come, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

Then Moses said: “This is the word that the Lord has instructed: Fill an omer of it, and let it be kept for future generations hereafter, so that they may know the bread, with which I nourished you in the wilderness, when you had been led away from the land of Egypt.”

33 So Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar and fill it with an omer of manna. Then place it before the LORD to be preserved for the generations to come.”

And Moses said to Aaron, “Take one vessel, and put manna into it, as much as an omer is able to hold. And store it in the sight of the Lord, to keep for your generations,

34 And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

just as the Lord instructed Moses.” And so, Aaron placed it in the tabernacle, in reserve.

35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land where they could settle; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

Now the sons of Israel ate manna for forty years, until they arrived in a habitable land. With this food they were nourished, even until they touched the borders of the land of Canaan.

36 (Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

Now an omer is a tenth part of an ephah.