³⁵ The Israelites ate manna^(A) forty years,^(B) until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.^(C)

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven^(A) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test^(B) them and see whether they will follow my instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice^(C) as much as they gather on the other days.”

⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt,^{(D) 7} and in the morning you will see the glory^(E) of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling^(F) against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”^{(G) 8} Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling^(H) against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”^(I)

⁹ Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’”

¹⁰ While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory^(J) of the Lord appearing in the cloud.^(K)

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the grumbling^(L) 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.’”^(M)

¹³ That evening quail^(N) came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew^(O) around the camp. ¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost^(P) on the ground appeared on the desert floor. ¹⁵ When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know^(Q) what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread^(R) the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer^[a](S) for each person you have in your tent.’”

¹⁷ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. ¹⁸ And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.^(T) Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

³¹ The people of Israel called the bread manna.^[a](A) It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. ³² Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’”

³³ So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna^(B) in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.”

³⁴ As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law,^(C) so that it might be preserved.

⁶ But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!^(A)”

⁷ The manna was like coriander seed^(B) and looked like resin.^{(C) 8} The people went around gathering it,^(D) and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. ⁹ When the dew^(E) settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

Quail From the Lord

⁴ The rabble with them began to crave other food,^(A) and again the Israelites started wailing^(B) and said, “If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.^{(C) 6} But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!^(D)”

⁷ The manna was like coriander seed^(E) and looked like resin.^{(F) 8} The people went around gathering it,^(G) and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. ⁹ When the dew^(H) settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

¹⁶ He gave you manna^(A) to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known,^(B) to humble and test^(C) you so that in the end it might go well with you.