Manna and Quail from Heaven 1 UDB They left Elim, and all the Israelite people came to the wilderness of Sin between Elim and Sinai Mountain. That was on the fifteenth day of the second month after they left Egypt. BSB BSB: 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.
2 UDB There in the wilderness, the Israelite people complained against Aaron and Moses. BSB BSB: And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
3 UDB They said to them, "We wish that Yahweh had killed us in Egypt! There we had meat to eat and all the bread that we wanted. But you have brought us into this desert in order that we will all starve to death!" BSB BSB: “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!”
4 UDB Yahweh said to Moses, "Listen to what I am going to do. I am going to send something from the sky that will take the place of bread for you. When I do that, the people must go out of their tents every day and gather enough to eat on that day. When I do that, I will find out whether they will obey me or not. BSB BSB: 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.
5 UDB On the sixth day after I start doing that, they will be able to gather twice as much as on the other days and not have to gather any on the seventh day. Then they can prepare it to eat it." BSB BSB: 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.”
6 UDB So Aaron and Moses said to all the Israelite people, "This evening you will know that it was Yahweh, not us, who brought you out of Egypt. BSB BSB: 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,
7 UDB Tomorrow morning you will see how great Yahweh is because he has heard how you have complained against him. He is the one to whom you have really complained because we are just his servants." BSB BSB: 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?”
8 UDB Then Moses also said, "Each evening Yahweh will give you meat to eat, and each morning he will give you something that will take the place of bread because he has heard what you have complained about. Yahweh is the one to whom you have really complained, not us. We are just his servants." BSB BSB: 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.”
9 UDB Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell all the Israelite people, 'Come and stand here in the presence of Yahweh because he has heard what you have been complaining about.'" BSB BSB: Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of Israel, ‘Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.’”
10 UDB So Aaron told them that. As Aaron was talking to all the Israelite people, they looked toward the desert and were surprised to see the dazzling light of Yahweh in the cloud that had been leading them. BSB BSB: 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.
11 UDB Then Yahweh said to Moses, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses,
12 UDB "I have heard what the Israelite people have been complaining about. So say to them, 'At twilight, you will have meat to eat, and tomorrow morning you will have something that will take the place of bread. You will have all you want of it to eat. Then you will know that I am Yahweh, your God.'" BSB BSB: “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.’”
13 UDB That evening quails appeared, and there were so many that they covered the campsite. The next morning there was something like small drops of water all around the campsite. BSB BSB: That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
14 UDB When the water dried up, on the ground there was a thin layer of something that looked like small white flakes. It looked like ice laying on the ground. BSB BSB: When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground.
15 UDB When the Israelite people saw it, since they had never seen it before and did not know what it was, they said to each other, "What is it?" Moses replied to them, "It is something Yahweh has given you to eat, to take the place of bread. BSB BSB: 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.
16 UDB This is what Yahweh has commanded: Each of you should gather as much as you need to eat. Gather two liters for each person who lives in your tents." BSB BSB: 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.’”
17 UDB So that is what the Israelite people did. Some gathered more and some gathered less. BSB BSB: So the Israelites did this. Some gathered more, and some less.
18 UDB But when they measured what they had gathered, those who had gathered a lot did not have anything left over. Those who had gathered less still had enough to eat. Each person gathered just enough. BSB BSB: 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.
19 UDB Moses said to them, "Do not leave any of it to eat tomorrow morning!" BSB BSB: Then Moses said to them, “No one may keep any of it until morning.”
20 UDB Some of them did not pay any attention to what Moses said. They kept some of it until the next morning. However, it was full of maggots and smelled rotten. That made Moses angry. BSB BSB: 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.
21 UDB Each morning they gathered as much as they needed. Later, when the sun got hot, what was left on the ground melted. BSB BSB: Every morning each one gathered as much as was needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.
The Sabbath Observed (Genesis 2:1–3; Hebrews 4:1–11)
22 UDB On the sixth day after they started gathering it, each person was able to gather four liters, which was twice as much as they gathered on the other days. When the leaders of the people came to Moses and told him about that, BSB BSB: 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.
23 UDB Moses said to them, "This is what Yahweh has told you: Tomorrow will be a day for you to rest. It will be a day for Yahweh. So today, bake or boil what you will need for today and for tomorrow. Whatever is left this evening, you should put aside and keep it to eat tomorrow." BSB BSB: 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.’”
24 UDB So they did what Moses told them. What was left over, they kept until the next day. It did not spoil and did not get maggots in it! BSB BSB: So they set it aside until morning as Moses had commanded, and it did not smell or contain any maggots.
25 UDB On that day, Moses said, "Eat today what you have saved from yesterday because today is a day of rest to Yahweh. Today you will not find any of that food outside. BSB BSB: “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you will not find anything in the field.
26 UDB Every week, you must gather it for six days; but on the seventh day, which will be a day of rest for you, you will not find any." BSB BSB: For six days you may gather, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, it will not be there.”
27 UDB On the seventh day, some of the people went outside their tents to gather some of that food, but there was none. BSB BSB: Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find anything.
28 UDB Then Yahweh told Moses to say this to the people: "Yahweh is angry because for a long time you people have refused to do all the things that he has told you to do! BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and instructions?
29 UDB Listen! Yahweh has given you a day of rest. So on the sixth day of each week, he will be giving you enough of this food for two days. Each of you should stay in his tent and do no work on the seventh day!" BSB BSB: 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.”
30 UDB So the people rested on the seventh day. BSB BSB: So the people rested on the seventh day.
The Jar of Manna 31 UDB The Israelite people called this food 'manna,' which sounds like the Hebrew word that means 'what is it?' It looked white, like the color of coriander seeds, and it tasted like thin wafers made with honey. BSB BSB: Now the house of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
32 UDB Moses said, "This is what Yahweh has told you: 'You must keep two liters of it for all future generations so that they can see the food that took the place of bread that I gave to your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt.'" BSB BSB: 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.’”
33 UDB And he said to Aaron, "Take a jar, and put two liters of manna in it. Then put it in a place where Yahweh can see it. It is to be kept like that for all future generations." BSB BSB: 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.”
34 UDB As Yahweh had commanded Moses, Aaron put the jar in front of the box that contained the stone slabs on which the Ten Commandments were written. BSB BSB: And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
35 UDB The Israelite people ate manna every day for forty years until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. BSB BSB: 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.
36 UDB Now two liters is a tenth of an ephah. BSB BSB: (Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)