Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

² In the desert the whole community grumbled^(A) against Moses and Aaron. ³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!^(B) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food^(C) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”^(D)

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven^(E) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test^(F) 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^(G) 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,^{(H) 7} and in the morning you will see the glory^(I) of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling^(J) against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”^{(K) 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^(L) against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”^(M)

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^(N) of the Lord appearing in the cloud.^(O)

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

¹³ That evening quail^(R) came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew^(S) around the camp. ¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost^(T) 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^(U) what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread^(V) 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](W) 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.^(X) Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

¹⁹ Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”^(Y)

²⁰ However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.^(Z) So Moses was angry^(AA) with them.

²¹ Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

Restoration of Israel

⁸ This is what the Lord says:

Hagar and Sarah

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under the law,^(A) are you not aware of what the law says? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman^(B) and the other by the free woman.^{(C) 23} His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,^(D) but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.^(E)

²⁴ These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem that is above^(F) is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written:

²⁸ Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.^{(H) 29} At that time the son born according to the flesh^(I) persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit.^(J) It is the same now. ³⁰ But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”^{[b](K) 31} Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,^(L) but of the free woman.^(M)