The Lord Sends Food from Heaven
1 On 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 in the direction of Mount Sinai. 2 There 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 The Lord said to Moses, “I will send bread 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. 5 But on the sixth day of each week they must gather and cook twice as much.”
6 Moses and Aaron told the people, “This evening you will know that the Lord was the one who rescued you from Egypt. 7 And 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?”
8 Then 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.”
9 Moses turned to Aaron and said, “Bring the people together, because the Lord has heard their complaints.”
10 Aaron was speaking to them, when everyone looked out toward the desert and saw the bright glory of the Lord in a cloud. 11 The 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.”
13 That evening a lot of quails came and landed everywhere in the camp, and the next morning dew covered the ground. 14 After the dew had gone, the desert was covered with thin flakes that looked like frost. 15 The people had never seen anything like this, and they started asking each other, “What is it?”
Moses answered, “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 And he orders you to gather about two liters for each person in your family—that should be more than enough.”
17 They did as they were told. Some gathered more and some gathered less. 18 Everyone had exactly what they needed, just the right amount.
19 Moses told them not to keep any overnight. 20 Some of them disobeyed, but the next morning what they kept was stinking and full of worms, and Moses was angry.
21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and in the heat of the day the rest melted. 22 However, 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 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.”
24 The 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. 26 You will find it there for the first six days of the week, but not on the Sabbath.”
27 A few of the Israelites did go out to look for some, but there was none. 28 Then the Lord said, “Moses, how long will you people keep disobeying my laws and teachings? 29 Remember 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.” 30 And so they rested on the Sabbath.
31 The Israelites called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and delicious as wafers made with honey. 32 Moses 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 Then Moses told Aaron, “Put some manna in a jar and store it in the place of worship for future generations to see.”
34 Aaron followed the Lord's instructions and put the manna in front of the sacred chest for safekeeping. 35-36 The Israelites ate manna for 40 years, before they came to the border of Canaan that was a settled land.
1 Afterward all the Congregation of the children of Israel departed from Elim, and came to the wildernes of Sin, (which is betweene Elim and Sinai) the fiftenth day of the second moneth after their departing out of ye land of Egypt. 2 And the whole Congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wildernesse. 3 For the children of Israel sayde to them, Oh that we had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when wee sate by the flesh pots, when wee ate bread our bellies full: for yee haue brought vs out into this wildernesse, to kill this whole company with famine. 4 Then sayd the Lord vnto Moses, Behold, I wil cause bread to rayne from heauen to you, and the people shall goe out, and gather that that is sufficient for euery day, that I may proue them, whether they wil walke in my Law or no. 5 But the sixt daye they shall prepare that, which they shall bring home, and it shalbe twise as much as they gather dayly. 6 Then Moses and Aaron sayde vnto all the children of Israel, At euen ye shall know, that the Lord brought you out of the land of Egypt: 7 And in the morning ye shall see the glorie of the Lord: for he hath heard your grudgings against the Lord: and what are we that ye haue murmured against vs? 8 Againe Moses sayd, At euen shall the Lord giue you flesh to eate, and in the morning your fil of bread: for the Lord hath heard your murmurings, which ye murmure against him: for what are we? your murmurings are not against vs, but against the Lord. 9 And Moses sayd to Aaron, Say vnto all the Congregation of the children of Israel, Draw neere before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmurings. 10 Now as Aaron spake vnto the whole Congregation of the children of Israel, they looked toward the wildernesse, and beholde, the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloude. 11 (For the Lord had spoken vnto Moses, saying, 12 I haue heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: tell them therefore, and say, At euen ye shall eate flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord your God) 13 And so at euen the quailes came and couered the campe: and in the morning the dewe lay round about the hoste. 14 And when the dewe that was fallen was ascended, beholde, a small round thing was vpon the face of the wildernes, small as the hoare frost on the earth. 15 And when the children of Israel sawe it, they sayde one to another, It is MAN, for they wist not what it was. And Moses sayd vnto them, This is the breade which the Lord hath giuen you to eate. 16 This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded: gather of it euery man according to his eating an Omer for a man according to the number of your persons: euery man shall take for them which are in his tent. 17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some lesse. 18 And when they did measure it with an Omer, hee that had gathered much, had nothing ouer, and he that had gathered litle, had no lacke: so euery man gathered according to his eating. 19 Moses then said vnto them, Let no man reserue thereof till morning. 20 Notwithstanding they obeyed not Moses: but some of them reserued of it till morning, and it was full of wormes, and stanke: therefore Moses was angrie with them. 21 And they gathered it euery morning, euery man according to his eating: for when the heate of the sunne came, it was melted. 22 And the sixt day they gathered twise so much bread, two Omers for one man: then all the rulers of the Congregation came and told Moses. 23 And he answered them, This is that, which the Lord hath sayde, To morowe is the rest of the holy Sabbath vnto the Lord: bake that to day which ye wil bake, and seethe that which ye wil seethe, and all that remaineth, lay it vp to be kept till the morning for you. 24 And they laied it vp till the morning, as Moses bade, and it stanke not, neyther was there any worme therein. 25 Then Moses sayde, Eate that to day: for to day is the Sabbath vnto the Lord: to day ye shall not finde it in the fielde. 26 Sixe dayes shall yee gather it, but in the seuenth day is the Sabbath: in it there shalbe none. 27 Notwithstanding, there went out some of the people in ye seuenth day for to gather, and they found none. 28 And the Lord sayde vnto Moses, Howe long refuse yee to keepe my commandements, and my lawes? 29 Beholde, howe the Lord hath giuen you the Sabbath: therefore he giueth you the sixt day bread for two dayes: tary therefore euery man in his place: let no man goe out of his place the seuenth day. 30 So the people rested the seuenth day. 31 And the house of Israel called the name of it, MAN. and it was like to coriander seede, but white: and the taste of it was like vnto wafers made with hony. 32 And Moses said, This is that which the Lord hath commanded, Fill an Omer of it, to keepe it for your posteritie: that they may see the bread wherewith I haue fed you in wildernesse, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt. 33 Moses also said to Aaron, Take a pot and put an Omer full of MAN therein, and set it before the Lord to be kept for your posteritie. 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laied it vp before the Testimonie to be kept. 35 And the children of Israel did eate MAN fourtie yeres, vntill they came vnto a land inhabited: they did eate MAN vntill they came to the borders of the land of Canaan. 36 The Omer is the tenth part of the Ephah.