Manna and Quail from Heaven 1 UEB The people journeyed on from Elim, and all the community of Israelites came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of 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 UEB The whole community of Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. BSB BSB: And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
3 UEB The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by Yahweh's hand in the land of Egypt when we were sitting by the pots of meat and were eating bread to the full. For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill our whole community with hunger." 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 UEB Then Yahweh said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people will go out and gather a day's portion every day so that I may test them to see whether or not they will walk in my law. 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 UEB It will come about on the sixth day, that they will gather twice as much as what they gathered every day before, and they will cook what they bring in." 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 UEB Then Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, "In the evening you will know that it is Yahweh who has brought you out from the land 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 UEB In the morning you will see Yahweh's glory, for he hears your complaining against him. Who are we for you to complain against us?" 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 UEB Moses also said, "You will know this when Yahweh gives you meat in the evening and bread in the morning to the full—for he has heard the complaints that you speak against him. Who are Aaron and I? Your complaints are not against us; they are against Yahweh." 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 UEB Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the community of the people of Israel, 'Come near before Yahweh, for he has heard your complaints.'" BSB BSB: Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of Israel, ‘Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.’”
10 UEB It came about, as Aaron spoke to the whole community of the people of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, Yahweh's glory appeared in the cloud. 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 UEB Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses,
12 UEB "I have heard the complaints of the people of Israel. Speak to them and say, 'In the evening you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. 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 UEB It came about in the evening that quails came up and covered the camp. In the morning the dew lay round about the camp. BSB BSB: That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
14 UEB When the dew was gone, there on the surface of the wilderness were thin flakes like frost 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 UEB When the people of Israel saw it, they said one to another, "What is it?" They did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that Yahweh has given you to eat. 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 UEB This is the command that Yahweh has given: 'You must gather, each one of you, the amount you need to eat, an omer for each person of the number of your people. This is how you will gather it: Gather enough to eat for every person who lives in your tent.'" 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 UEB The people of Israel did so. Some gathered more, some gathered less. BSB BSB: So the Israelites did this. Some gathered more, and some less.
18 UEB When they measured it with an omer measure, those who had gathered much had nothing left over, and those who had gathered little had no lack. Each person gathered enough to meet their need. 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 UEB Then Moses said to them, "No one must leave any of it until morning." BSB BSB: Then Moses said to them, “No one may keep any of it until morning.”
20 UEB However, they did not listen to Moses. Some of them left some of it until morning, but it bred worms and became foul. Then Moses became angry with them. 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 UEB They gathered it morning by morning. Each person gathered enough to eat for that day. When the sun became hot, it 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 UEB It came about that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each person. All the leaders of the community came and told this to Moses. 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 UEB He said to them, "This is what Yahweh has said: 'Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath in Yahweh's honor. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. All that remains over, set it aside for yourselves until morning.'" 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 UEB So they set it aside until morning, as Moses had instructed. It did not become foul, nor was there any worm 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 UEB Moses said, "Eat that food today, for today is a day reserved as a Sabbath to honor Yahweh. Today you will not find it in the fields. 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 UEB You will gather it during six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. On the Sabbath there will be no manna." BSB BSB: For six days you may gather, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, it will not be there.”
27 UEB It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather manna, but they found none. BSB BSB: Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find anything.
28 UEB Then Yahweh said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and instructions?
29 UEB See, Yahweh has given you the Sabbath. So on the sixth day he is giving you bread for two days. Each of you must stay in his own place; no one must go out from his place 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 UEB So the people rested on the seventh day. BSB BSB: So the people rested on the seventh day.
The Jar of Manna 31 UEB The people of Israel called that food "manna." It was white like coriander seed, and its taste was like 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 UEB Moses said, "This is what Yahweh has commanded: 'Let an omer of manna be kept throughout your people's generations so that your descendants might see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, after I brought you out from the land 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 UEB Moses said to Aaron, "Take a pot and put an omer of manna into it. Preserve it before Yahweh to be kept throughout the people's 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 UEB As Yahweh commanded Moses, Aaron stored it beside the covenant decrees in the ark. BSB BSB: And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
35 UEB The people of Israel ate manna forty years until they came to inhabited land. They ate it until they came to the borders 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 UEB Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah. BSB BSB: (Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)