The Lord Provides Manna

16 Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of (A)Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on (B)the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. But the whole congregation of the sons of Israel (C)grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, “(D)If only we had died by the Lords hand in the land of Egypt, (E)when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, (F)I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may (G)test them, whether or not they will walk in My [a]instruction. (H)On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening [b](I)you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt; and in the morning [c]you will see (J)the glory of the Lord, for (K)He hears your grumblings against the Lord; and (L)what are we, that you grumble against us?”

The Lord Provides Meat

And Moses said, “This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are (M)not against us but against the Lord.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘(N)Come forward before the Lord, for He has heard your grumblings.’” 10 And it came about, as Aaron spoke to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel, that they [d]looked toward the wilderness, and behold, (O)the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 (P)I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘[e]At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and (Q)you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

13 So it came about at evening that (R)the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning (S)there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 (T)When the layer of dew [f]evaporated, behold, on the [g]surface of the wilderness (U)there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “[h]What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “(V)It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is [i]what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone gather [j]as much as he will eat; you shall take [k](W)an omer apiece according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’” 17 The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18 When they measured it by the [l]omer, (X)the one who had gathered much did not have too much, and the one who had gathered little did not have too little; everyone gathered [m]as much as he would eat. 19 Moses said to them, “(Y)No one is to leave any of it until morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank; and Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it morning by morning, everyone [n]as much as he would eat; but when the sun became hot, it would melt.

The Sabbath

22 (Z)Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, [o]two omers for each one. When all the (AA)leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 then he said to them, “This is what the Lord [p]meant: (AB)Tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and (AC)all that is left over [q]put aside to be kept until morning.” 24 So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and (AD)it did not stink nor was there a maggot in it. 25 Then Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 (AE)Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be [r]none.”

27 Yet it came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(AF)How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My [s]instructions? 29 See, [t]the Lord has given you the Sabbath; for that reason He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain, everyone, in his place; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 And the house of (AG)Israel named the bread [u]manna, and it was like (AH)coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey. 32 Then Moses said, “This is [v]what the Lord has commanded: ‘A [w]full omer of it is to be kept safe throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “(AI)Take a jar and put a [x]full omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept safe throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before (AJ)the Testimony, to be kept. 35 And (AK)the sons of Israel ate the manna for forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (Now (AL)an [y]omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 16:4 Or law
  2. Exodus 16:6 Lit and you
  3. Exodus 16:7 Lit and you
  4. Exodus 16:10 Lit turned
  5. Exodus 16:12 Lit Between the two evenings
  6. Exodus 16:14 Lit had gone up
  7. Exodus 16:14 Lit face of
  8. Exodus 16:15 Heb Man hu, cf. v 31
  9. Exodus 16:16 Lit the thing which
  10. Exodus 16:16 Lit according to his eating
  11. Exodus 16:16 Lit an omer for a head; about 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  12. Exodus 16:18 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  13. Exodus 16:18 Lit according to his eating
  14. Exodus 16:21 Lit according to his eating
  15. Exodus 16:22 About 6 qt. or 5.6 liters
  16. Exodus 16:23 Lit spoke
  17. Exodus 16:23 Lit lay up for you
  18. Exodus 16:26 Lit none on it
  19. Exodus 16:28 Or laws
  20. Exodus 16:29 Lit for the Lord
  21. Exodus 16:31 Heb man, cf. v 15
  22. Exodus 16:32 Lit the thing which
  23. Exodus 16:32 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  24. Exodus 16:33 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  25. Exodus 16:36 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters

16 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:

And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?

And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.

And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmurings.

10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.

13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.

16 This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.

21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.

25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

28 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

29 See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.

33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.

34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.

36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.

天粮

16 以色列全体会众从以琳出发,来到以琳和西奈中间的汛旷野,时值他们离开埃及后的第二个月的十五日。 以色列全体会众在旷野向摩西和亚伦发怨言说: “我们还不如当初在埃及就死在耶和华手中。在那里,我们至少可以围在肉锅旁吃个饱。现在,你把我们带到旷野来,是要叫全体会众饿死在这里吗?”

耶和华对摩西说:“我要从天上降下食物给你们。百姓可以每天出去拾取他们当天所需的分量,这样我就可以试验他们是否遵行我的训诲。 到第六天,他们要比平时多拾取一倍,好够两天的分量。” 摩西和亚伦对以色列百姓说:“今天晚上你们就知道把你们从埃及领出来的是耶和华。 明天早上,你们会看见祂的荣耀,因为祂听见了你们向祂所发的怨言。我们算什么,你们何必埋怨我们? 耶和华听见你们发的怨言了,晚上祂必给你们肉吃,早晨再给你们饼吃。我们算什么?你们埋怨的其实不是我们,而是耶和华。” 摩西对亚伦说:“你去叫以色列全体会众到耶和华面前来,因为祂已听见他们的怨言。” 10 亚伦对以色列全体会众说话的时候,他们向旷野远望,果然看见耶和华的荣光在云彩中显现。 11 耶和华对摩西说: 12 “我已经听见以色列人的怨言。你告诉他们,‘到了黄昏,你们就会有肉吃,早晨就会有饼可以吃饱,这样你们就知道我是你们的上帝耶和华。’”

13 到了黄昏,果然有许多鹌鹑飞来,把营地都遮盖了。到了早晨,营区四周的地上布满露水, 14 露水蒸发以后,旷野便出现一层薄薄的、像白霜的东西。 15 以色列人见了,不知道是何物,便彼此议论说:“这是什么?”摩西对他们说:“这就是耶和华给你们的食物。 16 耶和华吩咐你们要按自己和家人的食量来拾取,每人约拾取两升。”

17 于是,以色列人遵命而行,有些拾的多,有些拾的少。 18 后来,他们用俄梅珥[a]量的时候,就发现多拾的没有剩余,少拾的也没有缺乏,刚好是每人所需要的量。 19 摩西又吩咐他们说:“你们所拾取的,不可留到早晨!” 20 可是,有的人不听,留了一些。到第二天早上,食物已腐烂生虫,发出恶臭,摩西就向他们发怒。 21 于是,百姓每天早晨出营拾取食物,各人按着所需分量拾取,到太阳升起后,食物就融化了。 22 到第六天,他们就拾取双倍的分量,也就是每人四升。会众的首领来禀告摩西, 23 摩西对他们说:“耶和华说,‘明天是安息日,是向耶和华守的圣安息日。你们要把一切食物预备好,或烤或煮,吃剩的可以留到明天。’” 24 百姓就照摩西的吩咐,把吃剩的食物留到第二天早晨,食物没有发臭生虫。 25 摩西对他们说:“你们今天就吃这些吧,因为今天是耶和华的安息日,地上不会有食物让你们拾取。 26 你们有六天可以拾取食物,但第七天是安息日,没有食物可以拾取。” 27 到了第七天早晨,有些人仍然出去要拾取食物,结果什么也找不到。 28 耶和华对摩西说:“你们到什么时候才肯遵行我的诫命和吩咐呢? 29 要知道,耶和华已将安息日赐给你们,所以第六天我会赐你们双倍的食物。第七天,人人都要留在营中,不许外出。” 30 于是,百姓在第七天休息。

31 以色列人称这种食物为吗哪,它形状像芫荽的种子,白色,味道像用蜜糖制成的薄饼。 32 摩西说:“以下是耶和华的吩咐,‘把两升的吗哪存留起来,直到世世代代,以便你们的子子孙孙可以看见上帝带你们离开埃及时在旷野赐给你们的食物。’” 33 于是,摩西吩咐亚伦:“拿个罐子盛满两升的吗哪,放在耶和华面前,留到世世代代。” 34 亚伦便照耶和华给摩西的吩咐,把吗哪放在约柜前保存起来。 35 以色列百姓就在旷野吃了四十年的吗哪,直到他们到达有人烟的迦南为止。 36 一俄梅珥等于十分之一伊法。

Footnotes

  1. 16:18 俄梅珥”,量器,约“两升”。