Exodus 16-18
Complete Jewish Bible
16 They traveled on from Eilim, and the whole community of the people of Isra’el arrived at the Seen Desert, between Eilim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after leaving the land of Egypt. 2 There in the desert the whole community of the people of Isra’el grumbled against Moshe and Aharon. 3 The people of Isra’el said to them, “We wish Adonai had used his own hand to kill us off in Egypt! There we used to sit around the pots with the meat boiling, and we had as much food as we wanted. But you have taken us out into this desert to let this whole assembly starve to death!”
4 Adonai said to Moshe, “Here, I will cause bread to rain down from heaven for you. The people are to go out and gather a day’s ration every day. By this I will test whether they will observe my Torah or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have brought in, it will turn out to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” 6 Moshe and Aharon said to all the people of Isra’el, “This evening, you will realize that it has been Adonai who brought you out of Egypt; 7 and in the morning, you will see Adonai’s glory. For he has listened to your grumblings against Adonai — what are we that you should grumble against us?” 8 Moshe added, “What I have said will happen when Adonai gives you meat to eat this evening and your fill of bread tomorrow morning. Adonai has listened to your complaints and grumblings against him — what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against Adonai.”
9 Moshe said to Aharon, “Say to the whole community of Isra’el, ‘Come close, into the presence of Adonai, for he has heard your grumblings.’” 10 As Aharon spoke to the whole community of the people of Isra’el, they looked toward the desert; and there before them the glory of Adonai appeared in the cloud; (A: vi, S: v) 11 and Adonai said to Moshe, 12 “I have heard the grumblings of the people of Isra’el. Say to them: ‘At dusk you will be eating meat, and in the morning you will have your fill of bread. Then you will realize that I am Adonai your God.’”
13 That evening, quails came up and covered the camp; while in the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp. 14 When the dew had evaporated, there on the surface of the desert was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Isra’el saw it, they asked each other, “Man hu? [What is it?]” because they didn’t know what it was. Moshe answered them, “It is the bread which Adonai has given you to eat. 16 Here is what Adonai has ordered: each man is to gather according to his appetite — each is to take an ‘omer [two quarts] per person for everyone in his tent.” 17 The people of Isra’el did this. Some gathered more, some less; 18 but when they put it in an ‘omer-measure, whoever had gathered much had no excess; and whoever had gathered little had no shortage; nevertheless each person had gathered according to his appetite.
19 Moshe told them, “No one is to leave any of it till morning.” 20 But they didn’t pay attention to Moshe, and some kept the leftovers until morning. It bred worms and rotted, which made Moshe angry at them. 21 So they gathered it morning after morning, each person according to his appetite; but as the sun grew hot, it melted.
22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two ‘omers per person; and all the community leaders came and reported to Moshe. 23 He told them, “This is what Adonai has said: ‘Tomorrow is a holy Shabbat for Adonai. Bake what you want to bake; boil what you want to boil; and whatever is left over, set aside and keep for the morning.’” 24 They set it aside till morning, as Moshe had ordered; and it didn’t rot or have worms. 25 Moshe said, “Today, eat that; because today is a Shabbat for Adonai — today you won’t find it in the field. 26 Gather it six days, but the seventh day is the Shabbat — on that day there won’t be any.” 27 However, on the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather and found none.
28 Adonai said to Moshe, “How long will you refuse to observe my mitzvot and teachings? 29 Look, Adonai has given you the Shabbat. This is why he is providing bread for two days on the sixth day. Each of you, stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” (S: vi) 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The people called the food man. It was like coriander seed, white; and it tasted like honey cakes. 32 Moshe said, “Here is what Adonai has ordered: ‘Let two quarts of man be kept through all your generations, so that they will be able to see the bread which I fed you in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.’” 33 Moshe said to Aharon, “Take a jar, put in it two quarts of man, and set it aside before Adonai to be kept through all your generations.” 34 Just as Adonai ordered Moshe, Aharon set it aside before the testimony to be kept. 35 The people of Isra’el ate man for forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate man until they arrived at the borders of the land of Kena‘an. 36 (An ‘omer is one-tenth of an eifah [which is a bushel dry-measure].)
17 (vii) The whole community of the people of Isra’el left the Seen Desert, traveling in stages, as Adonai had ordered, and camped at Refidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moshe, demanding, “Give us water to drink!” But Moshe replied, “Why pick a fight with me? Why are you testing Adonai?” 3 However, the people were thirsty for water there and grumbled against Moshe, “For what did you bring us up from Egypt? To kill us, our children and our livestock with thirst?”
4 Moshe cried out to Adonai, “What am I to do with these people? They’re ready to stone me!” 5 Adonai answered Moshe, “Go on ahead of the people, and bring with you the leaders of Isra’el. Take your staff in your hand, the one you used to strike the river; and go. 6 I will stand in front of you there on the rock in Horev. You are to strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so the people can drink.” Moshe did this in the sight of the leaders of Isra’el. 7 The place was named Massah [testing] and M’rivah [quarreling] because of the quarreling of the people of Isra’el and because they tested Adonai by asking, “Is Adonai with us or not?”
8 Then ‘Amalek came and fought with Isra’el at Refidim. 9 Moshe said to Y’hoshua, “Choose men for us, go out, and fight with ‘Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with God’s staff in my hand.” 10 Y’hoshua did as Moshe had told him and fought with ‘Amalek. Then Moshe, Aharon and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 When Moshe raised his hand, Isra’el prevailed; but when he let it down, ‘Amalek prevailed. 12 However, Moshe’s hands grew heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aharon and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other; so that his hands stayed steady until sunset. 13 Thus Y’hoshua defeated ‘Amalek, putting their people to the sword.
(Maftir) 14 Adonai said to Moshe, “Write this in a book to be remembered, and tell it to Y’hoshua: I will completely blot out any memory of ‘Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moshe built an altar, called it Adonai Nissi [Adonai is my banner/miracle], 16 and said, “Because their hand was against the throne of Yah, Adonai will fight ‘Amalek generation after generation.”
Haftarah B’shallach: Shof’tim (Judges) 4:4–5:31 (A); 5:1–31 (S)
B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah B’shallach: Luke 2:22–24; Yochanan (John) 6:25–35; 19:31–37; 1 Corinthians 10:1–13; 2 Corinthians 8:1–15; Revelation 15:1–4
Parashah 17: Yitro (Jethro) 18:1–20:23(26)
18 Now Yitro the priest of Midyan, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moshe and for Isra’el his people, how Adonai had brought Isra’el out of Egypt. 2 After Moshe had sent away his wife Tzipporah and her two sons, Yitro Moshe’s father-in-law had taken them back. 3 The name of the one son was Gershom, for Moshe had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” 4 The name of the other was Eli‘ezer [my God helps], “because the God of my father helped me by rescuing me from Pharaoh’s sword.” 5 Yitro Moshe’s father-in-law brought Moshe’s sons and wife to him in the desert where he was encamped, at the mountain of God. 6 He sent word to Moshe, “I, your father-in-law Yitro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7 Moshe went out to meet his father-in-law, prostrated himself and kissed him. Then, after inquiring of each other’s welfare, they entered the tent. 8 Moshe told his father-in-law all that Adonai had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Isra’el’s sake, all the hardships they had suffered while traveling and how Adonai had rescued them. 9 Yitro rejoiced over all the good that Adonai had done for Isra’el by rescuing them from the Egyptians. 10 Yitro said, “Blessed be Adonai, who has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh, who has rescued the people from the harsh hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that Adonai is greater than all other gods, because he rescued those who were treated so arrogantly.” 12 Yitro Moshe’s father-in-law brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aharon came with all the leaders of Isra’el to share the meal before God with Moshe’s father-in-law.
(ii) 13 The following day Moshe sat to settle disputes for the people, while the people stood around Moshe from morning till evening. 14 When Moshe’s father-in-law saw all that he was doing to the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing to the people? Why do you sit there alone, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?” 15 Moshe answered his father-in-law, “It’s because the people come to me seeking God’s guidance. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me; I judge between one person and another, and I explain to them God’s laws and teachings.”
17 Moshe’s father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing isn’t good. 18 You will certainly wear yourself out — and not only yourself, but these people here with you as well. It’s too much for you — you can’t do it alone, by yourself. 19 So listen now to what I have to say. I will give you some advice, and God will be with you. You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases to God. 20 You should also teach them the laws and the teachings, and show them how to live their lives and what work they should do. 21 But you should choose from among all the people competent men who are God-fearing, honest and incorruptible to be their leaders, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Normally, they will settle the people’s disputes. They should bring you the difficult cases; but ordinary matters they should decide themselves. In this way, they will make it easier for you and share the load with you. 23 If you do this — and God is directing you to do it — you will be able to endure; and all these people too will arrive at their destination peacefully.”
(iii) 24 Moshe paid attention to his father-in-law’s counsel and did everything he said. 25 Moshe chose competent men from all Isra’el and made them heads over the people, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 As a general rule, they settled the people’s disputes — the difficult cases they brought to Moshe, but every simple matter they decided themselves.
27 Then Moshe let his father-in-law leave, and he went off to his own country.
Shemot 16-18
Orthodox Jewish Bible
16 And they took their journey from Elim, and kol Adat Bnei Yisroel came unto the midbar of Siyn (pronounced "Seen"), which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of Eretz Mitzrayim.
2 And kol Adat Bnei Yisroel murmured against Moshe and Aharon in the midbar;
3 And the Bnei Yisroel said unto them, If only G-d would have made us die by the yad Hashem in Eretz Mitzrayim, when we sat by the sir habasar (pot of meat), and when we did eat lechem to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this midbar, to kill this kol hakahal with ra’av (hunger).
4 Then said Hashem unto Moshe, Hineni, I will rain lechem from Shomayim upon you; and HaAm shall go out and gather a certain daily provision, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My torah, or no.
5 And it shall come to pass, that on the yom hashishi (sixth day) they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
6 And Moshe and Aharon said unto kol Bnei Yisroel, At erev, then ye shall know that Hashem hath brought you out from Eretz Mitzrayim;
7 And in the boker, then ye shall see the kevod Hashem; because He heareth your telunnot (murmurings, grumblings) against Hashem; and who are we, that ye murmur against us?
8 And Moshe said, This shall be, when Hashem shall give you basar in the erev to eat, and in the boker lechem to the full; because Hashem heareth your telunnot which ye murmur against Him; and who are we? Your telunnot are not against us, but against Hashem.
9 And Moshe spoke unto Aharon, Say unto kol Adat Bnei Yisroel, Come near before Hashem; for He hath heard your telunnot.
10 And it came to pass, as Aharon spoke unto kol Adat Bnei Yisroel, that they looked toward the midbar, and, hinei, the kevod Hashem appeared in the anan.
11 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
12 I have heard the telunnot Bnei Yisroel; speak unto them, saying, At twilight ye shall eat basar, and in the boker ye shall be glutted with lechem; and ye shall know [by experience] that I am Hashem Eloheichem.
13 And it came to pass, that at erev the quails came up, and covered the machaneh; and in the boker there was a layer of tal (dew) about the machaneh.
14 And when the layer of tal evaporated, hinei, upon the surface of the midbar there lay thin flakes, as thin as a layer of kfor (frost) upon ha’aretz.
15 And when the Bnei Yisroel saw it, they said one to another, Mahn hu (What is it?) For they knew not mah hu (what [is] this). And Moshe said unto them, This is the lechem which Hashem hath given you to eat.
16 This is the thing which Hashem hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating [need], an omer per person, according to the number of your nefashot; take ye every man for them which are in his ohel.
17 And the Bnei Yisroel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
18 And when they did measure it by the omer, he that gathered much had nothing extra, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating [need].
19 And Moshe said, Let no ish leave of it until boker.
20 Notwithstanding, they paid heed not unto Moshe; but some left part of it until boker, and [the leftovers] bred tola’im (worms), and stank; and Moshe was angry with them.
21 And they gathered it every boker, every man according to his eating [need]; and when the shemesh grew hot, it melted.
22 And it came to pass, that on yom hashishi they gathered twice as much lechem, two omers for one man; and all the nesi’im of the Edah came and told Moshe.
23 And he said unto them, This is that which Hashem hath said, Tomorrow is a Shabbaton (day of rest), Shabbos Kodesh unto Hashem; bake that which ye will bake today, and boil that ye will boil; and that which remaineth over lay up for you for mishmeret (for keeping) until boker.
24 And they laid it up, saving it until boker, as Moshe commanded; and it did not stink, neither was there any infestation therein.
25 And Moshe said, Eat that today; for today is a Shabbos unto Hashem; today ye shall not find it in the sadeh.
26 Sheshet yamim ye shall gather it; but on the yom hashevi’i, which is Shabbos, in it there shall be none.
27 And it came to pass, that there went out some from HaAm on the yom hashevi’i to gather, and they found none.
28 And Hashem said unto Moshe, How long refuse ye to be shomer over My mitzvot and My torot?
29 See, that Hashem hath given you the Shabbos, therefore He giveth you on yom hashishi lechem for two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out from his place on yom hashevi’i.
30 So HaAm rested on yom hashevi’i.
31 And Bais Yisroel called the shem thereof Manna; and it was like coriander seed, lavan (white); and the taste of it was like flat cakes fried in devash.
32 And Moshe said, This is the thing which Hashem commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be mishmeret (kept) for your dorot; that they may see the lechem wherewith I have fed you in the midbar, when I brought you forth from Eretz Mitzrayim.
33 And Moshe said unto Aharon, Take a jar, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before Hashem, to be kept for your dorot.
34 As Hashem commanded Moshe, so Aharon laid it up before the Edut (the [Ark] of the Testimony), for mishmeret (to be kept).
35 And the Bnei Yisroel did eat manna arba’im shanah, until they came to an eretz noshavet (an inhabited land); they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of Eretz Kena’an.
36 Now an omer [i.e., two quarts dry measure] is the tenth part of an ephah [T.N. an ephah is about one-half bushel].
17 And kol Adat Bnei Yisroel journeyed from the midbar of Siyn, setting out, according to the commandment of Hashem, and encamped in Rephidim; and there was no mayim for HaAm to drink.
2 Wherefore the people did chide (quarrel, become dissatisfied with) Moshe, and said, Give us mayim that we may drink. And Moshe said unto them, Why chide ye with me? Why do ye put Hashem to the test?
3 And HaAm thirsted there for mayim; and the people murmured against Moshe, and said, Why is this that thou hast brought us up out of Mitzrayim, to kill me and my banim and my livestock with tzama (thirst)?
4 And Moshe cried unto Hashem, saying, What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.
5 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Go on ahead of HaAm, and take with thee Ziknei Yisroel; and thy matteh (staff) wherewith thou struck the Nile, take in thine yad, and go.
6 Hineni, I will stand before thee there upon the tzur in Chorev; thou shalt strike the tzur, and there shall come mayim out of it, that HaAm may drink. Moshe did so in the sight of the Ziknei Yisroel.
7 And he called the shem of the place Massah (Testing), and Merivah (Dissatisfaction), because of the riv (chiding, quarreling) of the Bnei Yisroel, and because they put Hashem to the test, saying, Is Hashem among us, or not?
8 Then came Amalek, and did battle against Yisroel in Rephidim.
9 And Moshe said unto Yehoshua, Choose for us anashim, and go out, do battle with Amalek; tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the matteh HaElohim in mine yad.
10 So Yehoshua did as Moshe had said to him, and did battle with Amalek; and Moshe, Aharon, and Chur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And it came to pass, as long as Moshe held up his yad, that Yisroel prevailed; and when he let down his yad, Amalek prevailed.
12 When the hands of Moshe grew heavy, they took an even (stone), and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aharon and Chur supported his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands held emunah (steady) until bo hashemesh (sunset).
13 And Yehoshua disabled Amalek and his army with the edge of the cherev.
14 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Write this for a zikaron (memorial, remembering) in a sefer, and rehearse it in the ears of Yehoshua; for I will utterly efface the memory of Amalek from under Shomayim.
15 And Moshe built a Mizbe’ach, and called the shem of it Hashem Nissi (Hashem is my Standard [rallying point]);
16 For he said, Because a yad has been against the kes Hashem (throne of Hashem), Hashem hath milchamah against Amalek from dor to dor.
[YITRO]
18 When Yitro, the kohen of Midyan, Moshe’s khoten (father-in-law), heard of all that Elohim had done for Moshe, and for Yisroel His people, and that Hashem had brought Yisroel out of Mitzrayim;
2 Then Yitro, Moshe’s khoten, received Tzipporah, Moshe’ wife, after Moshe had sent her away,
3 And her two banim; of which the shem of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been a ger in a foreign land;
4 And the shem of the other was Eliezer; for the Elohei Avi, said he, was ezri (my help), and delivered me from the cherev of Pharaoh;
5 And Yitro, Moshe’s khoten, came with his banim and his isha unto Moshe into the midbar, where he encamped at the Har HaElohim;
6 And he said unto Moshe, I thy khoten (father-in-law) Yitro am come unto thee, and thy isha, and her two banim with her.
7 And Moshe went out to meet his khoten, bowed low, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their shalom (welfare); and they came into the ohel.
8 And Moshe told his khoten all that Hashem had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for the sake of Yisroel, and all the travail that had befallen them along the derech, and how Hashem saved and delivered them.
9 And Yitro rejoiced for all the tovah which Hashem had done for Yisroel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Yitro said, Baruch Hashem, Who hath rescued you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and Who hath delivered HaAm from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I have da’as that Hashem is gadol than kol haelohim; for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly He was above them.
12 And Yitro, Moshe’s khoten, brought an olah and zevakhim for Elohim; and Aharon came, and kol Ziknei Yisroel, to eat lechem with Moshe’s khoten before HaElohim.
13 And it came to pass on next day, that Moshe sat to judge HaAm; and HaAm stood around Moshe from the boker unto erev.
14 And when Moshe’s khoten saw all that he was doing for HaAm, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? Why sittest thou thyself alone, and kol HaAm stand around thee from boker unto erev?
15 And Moshe said unto his khoten, Because HaAm come unto me to inquire of Elohim;
16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the chukkei HaElohim, and His torot.
17 And Moshe’s khoten said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not tov.
18 Thou wilt surely wear out, both thou, and HaAm hazeh that is with thee; for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19 Shema (pay heed) now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and may Elohim be with thee; be thou for HaAm before HaElohim, that thou mayest bring the disputes unto HaElohim;
20 And thou shalt teach them chukkim and torot, and shalt show them the derech wherein they must walk, and the ma’aseh that they must do.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of kol HaAm anshei chayil (able men), yirei Elohim, anshei emes, hating bribes; and place such over them, to be over thousands, and over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens;
22 And let them judge HaAm at all times; and it shall be, that every davar hagadol they shall bring unto thee, but every davar hakaton they shall judge; so shall it be eased for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
23 If thou shalt do this thing, and Elohim command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and kol HaAm hazeh shall also go to their place in shalom.
24 So Moshe paid heed to the voice of his khoten, and did all that he had said.
25 And Moshe chose anshei chayil out of kol Yisroel, and made them rashim over HaAm, over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
26 And they judged HaAm at all times; the davar hakasheh (difficult case) they brought unto Moshe, but every devar hakaton they judged themselves.
27 And Moshe let his khoten depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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