Exodus 16
16
The Lord Sends Food from Heaven
1On the fifteenth day of the second month after the Israelites had escaped from Egypt, they left Elim and started through the western edge of the Sinai Desert#16.1 the western edge of the Sinai Desert: Hebrew “the Sin Desert.” in the direction of Mount Sinai. 2There in the desert they started complaining to Moses and Aaron, 3“We wish the Lord had killed us in Egypt. When we lived there, we could at least sit down and eat all the bread and meat we wanted. But you have brought us out here into this desert, where we are going to starve.”
4 #
Ws 16.20-29; Jn 6.31. The Lord said to Moses, “I will send bread#16.4 bread: This was something like a thin wafer, and it was called “manna,” which in Hebrew means, “What is it?” down from heaven like rain. Tell the people to go out each day and gather only enough for that day. That's how I will see if they obey me. 5But on the sixth day of each week they must gather and cook twice as much.”
6Moses and Aaron told the people, “This evening you will know that the Lord was the one who rescued you from Egypt. 7And in the morning you will see his glorious power, because he has heard your complaints against him. Why should you grumble to us? Who are we?”
8Then Moses continued, “You will know it is the Lord when he gives you meat each evening and more than enough bread each morning. He is really the one you are complaining about, not us—we are nobodies—but the Lord has heard your complaints.”
9Moses turned to Aaron and said, “Bring the people together, because the Lord has heard their complaints.”
10Aaron was speaking to them, when everyone looked out toward the desert and saw the bright glory of the Lord in a cloud. 11The Lord said to Moses, 12“I have heard my people complain. Now tell them that each evening they will have meat and each morning they will have more than enough bread. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”
13That evening a lot of quails came and landed everywhere in the camp, and the next morning dew covered the ground. 14After the dew had gone, the desert was covered with thin flakes that looked like frost. 15#1 Co 10.3. The people had never seen anything like this, and they started asking each other, “What is it?”#16.15 What is it: See the note at 16.4.
Moses answered, “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16And he orders you to gather about two liters for each person in your family—that should be more than enough.”
17They did as they were told. Some gathered more and some gathered less. 18#2 Co 8.15. Everyone had exactly what they needed, just the right amount.
19Moses told them not to keep any overnight. 20Some of them disobeyed, but the next morning what they kept was stinking and full of worms, and Moses was angry.
21Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and in the heat of the day the rest melted. 22However, on the sixth day of the week, everyone gathered enough to have four liters, instead of two. When the leaders reported this to Moses, 23#Ex 20.8-11. he told them that the Lord had said, “Tomorrow is the Sabbath, a sacred day of rest in honor of me. So gather all you want to bake or boil, and make sure you save enough for tomorrow.”
24The people obeyed, and the next morning the food smelled fine and had no worms. 25“You may eat the food,” Moses said. “Today is the Sabbath in honor of the Lord, and there won't be any of this food on the ground today. 26You will find it there for the first six days of the week, but not on the Sabbath.”
27A few of the Israelites did go out to look for some, but there was none. 28Then the Lord said, “Moses, how long will you people keep disobeying my laws and teachings? 29Remember that I was the one who gave you the Sabbath. That's why on the sixth day I provide enough bread for two days. Everyone is to stay home and rest on the Sabbath.” 30And so they rested on the Sabbath.
31 #
Nu 11.7-9. The Israelites called the bread manna.#16.31 manna: See the note at 16.4. It was white like coriander seed and delicious as wafers made with honey. 32Moses told the people that the Lord had said, “Store up two liters of this manna, because I want future generations to see the food I gave you during the time you were in the desert after I rescued you from Egypt.”
33 #
He 9.4. Then Moses told Aaron, “Put some manna in a jar and store it in the place of worship for future generations to see.”
34Aaron followed the Lord's instructions and put the manna in front of the sacred chest for safekeeping. 35-36#Js 5.11,12. The Israelites ate manna for 40 years, before they came to the border of Canaan that was a settled land.#16.35,36 land: The Hebrew text adds, “An omer is one tenth of an ephah.” In the CEV “omer” is usually translated “two liters.”
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Exodus 16: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Exodus 16
16
1And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 2And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness: 3and the children of Israel said unto them, Would that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
4Then said Jehovah unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. 5And it shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. 6And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that Jehovah hath brought you out from the land of Egypt; 7and in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of Jehovah; for that he heareth your murmurings against Jehovah: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? 8And Moses said, This shall be, when Jehovah shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that Jehovah heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against Jehovah. 9And Moses said unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before Jehovah; for he hath heard your murmurings. 10And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud. 11And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 12I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God.
13And it came to pass at even, that the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the camp. 14And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness a small round thing, small as the hoar-frost on the ground. 15And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, What is it? for they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, It is the bread which Jehovah hath given you to eat. 16This is the thing which Jehovah hath commanded, Gather ye of it every man according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, shall ye take it, every man for them that are in his tent. 17And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some more, some less. 18And when they measured it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19And Moses said unto them, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and became foul: and Moses was wroth with them.
21And they gathered it morning by morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 22And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23And he said unto them, This is that which Jehovah hath spoken, To-morrow is a solemn rest, a holy sabbath unto Jehovah: bake that which ye will bake, and boil that which ye will boil; and all that remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not become foul, neither was there any worm therein. 25And Moses said, Eat that to-day; for to-day is a sabbath unto Jehovah: to-day ye shall not find it in the field. 26Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 27And it came to pass on the seventh day, that there went out some of the people to gather, and they found none. 28And Jehovah said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 29See, for that Jehovah hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 30So the people rested on the seventh day.
31And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32And Moses said, This is the thing which Jehovah hath commanded, Let an omerful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread wherewith I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. 33And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omerful of manna therein, and lay it up before Jehovah, to be kept throughout your generations. 34As Jehovah commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. 35And the children of Israel did eat the manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat the manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. 36Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
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