The Waters of Marah and Elim

²² Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert^(A) of Shur.^(B) For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.^{(C) 23} When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.^[a](D)) ²⁴ So the people grumbled^(E) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”^(F)

²⁵ Then Moses cried out^(G) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw^(H) it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.

There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.^{(I) 26} He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep^(J) all his decrees,^(K) I will not bring on you any of the diseases^(L) I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals^(M) you.”

²⁷ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped^(N) there near the water.

Manna and Quail

16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin,^(O) which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.^{(P) 2} In the desert the whole community grumbled^(Q) against Moses and Aaron. ³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!^(R) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food^(S) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”^(T)

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven^(U) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test^(V) 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^(W) 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,^{(X) 7} and in the morning you will see the glory^(Y) of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling^(Z) against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”^{(AA) 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^(AB) against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”^(AC)

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^(AD) of the Lord appearing in the cloud.^(AE)

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

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

Moses said to them, “It is the bread^(AL) 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^[b](AM) 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.^(AN) 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.”^(AO)

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.^(AP) So Moses was angry^(AQ) with them.

²¹ Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. ²² On the sixth day, they gathered twice^(AR) as much—two omers^[c] for each person—and the leaders of the community^(AS) came and reported this to Moses. ²³ He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath^(AT) to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”

²⁴ So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. ²⁵ “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. ²⁶ Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath,^(AU) there will not be any.”

²⁷ Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. ²⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you^[d] refuse to keep my commands^(AV) and my instructions? ²⁹ Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

³¹ The people of Israel called the bread manna.^[e](AW) 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^(AX) 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,^(AY) so that it might be preserved. ³⁵ The Israelites ate manna^(AZ) forty years,^(BA) until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.^(BB)

³⁶ (An omer^(BC) is one-tenth of an ephah.)^(BD)

Jesus the Bread of Life

²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi,^(A) when did you get here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me,^(B) not because you saw the signs^(C) I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures^(D) to eternal life,^(E) which the Son of Man^(F) will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal^(G) of approval.”

²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe^(H) in the one he has sent.”^(I)

³⁰ So they asked him, “What sign^(J) then will you give that we may see it and believe you?^(K) What will you do? ³¹ Our ancestors ate the manna^(L) in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’^[a]”^(M)

³² Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven^(N) and gives life to the world.”

³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”^(O)

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am^(P) the bread of life.^(Q) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes^(R) in me will never be thirsty.^{(S) 36} But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me^(T) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven^(U) not to do my will but to do the will^(V) of him who sent me.^{(W) 39} And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,^(X) but raise them up at the last day.^{(Y) 40} For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son^(Z) and believes in him shall have eternal life,^(AA) and I will raise them up at the last day.”

⁴¹ At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph,^(AB) whose father and mother we know?^(AC) How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”^(AD)

⁴³ “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,^(AE) and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’^[b](AF) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God;^(AG) only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.^{(AH) 48} I am the bread of life.^{(AI) 49} Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.^{(AJ) 50} But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,^(AK) which anyone may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread^(AL) that came down from heaven.^(AM) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”^(AN)

⁵² Then the Jews^(AO) began to argue sharply among themselves,^(AP) “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

⁵³ Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh^(AQ) of the Son of Man^(AR) and drink his blood,^(AS) you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.^{(AT) 55} For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.^{(AU) 57} Just as the living Father sent me^(AV) and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”^{(AW) 59} He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.