² The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.^{(A) 3} The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”^(B)

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not.^{(C) 5} On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.”^(D)

¹³ In the evening quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.^{(A) 14} When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.^{(B) 15} When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?”^[a] For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.^{(C) 16} This is what the Lord has commanded: Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer per person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.” ¹⁷ The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. ¹⁸ But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed.^{(D) 19} And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over until morning.”^{(E) 20} But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it became wormy and rotten. And Moses was angry with them. ²¹ Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed, but when the sun grew hot, it melted.