Exodus 16

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Setting out from Elim, the whole community of Israelites entered the desert of Sin, lying between Elimand Sinai -- on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt.	1 Having set out from Elim, the whole Israelite community came into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt.
2 And the whole community of Israelites began complaining about Moses and Aaron in the desert	2 Here in the desert the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
3 and said to them, 'Why did we not die at Yahweh's hand in Egypt, where we used to sit round the fleshpots and could eat to our heart's content! As it is, you have led us into this desert to starve this entire assemblyto death!'	3 The Israelites said to them, "Would that we had died at the LORD'S hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!"
4 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Look, I shal rain down bread for you from the heavens. Each day thepeople must go out and collect their ration for the day; I propose to test them in this way to see whether they wilfol ow my law or not.	4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not.
5 On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they have brought in, this must be twice as muchas they col ect on ordinary days.'	5 On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in, let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
6 Moses and Aaron then said to the whole community of Israelites, 'This evening you wil know that itwas Yahweh who brought you out of Egypt,	6 So Moses and Aaron told all the Israelites, "At evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
7 and tomorrow morning you wil see the glory of Yahweh, for Yahweh has heard your complaints abouthim. What are we, that your complaint should be against us?'	7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, as he heeds your grumbling against him. But what are we that you should grumble against us?
8 Moses then said, 'This evening Yahweh wil give you meat to eat, and tomorrow morning bread to yourheart's content, for Yahweh has heard your complaints about him. What do we count for? Your complaints arenot against us, but against Yahweh.'	8 When the LORD gives you flesh to eat in the evening," continued Moses, "and in the morning your fill of bread, as he heeds the grumbling you utter against him, what then are we? Your grumbling is not against us, but against the LORD."
9 Moses then said to Aaron, 'Say to the whole community of Israelites, "Approach Yahweh's presence,for he has heard your complaints." '	9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole Israelite community: Present yourselves before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling."
10 As Aaron was speaking to the whole community of Israelites, they turned towards the desert, andthere the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud.	10 When Aaron announced this to the whole Israelite community, they turned toward the desert, and lo, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud!
11 Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said,	11 The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
12 'I have heard the Israelites' complaints. Speak to them as follows, "At twilight you wil eat meat, and inthe morning you will have bread to your heart's content, and then you wil know that I am Yahweh your God." '	12 "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread, so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God."
13 That evening, quails flew in and covered the camp, and next morning there was a layer of dew alround the camp.	13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,
14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the desert was something fine and granular, asfine as hoarfrost on the ground.	14 and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.
15 As soon as the Israelites saw this, they said to one another, 'What is that ?' not knowing what it was.'That', Moses told them, 'is the food which Yahweh has given you to eat.	15 On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, "What is this?" for they did not know what it was. But Moses told them, "This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.
16 These are Yahweh's orders: Each of you must collect as much as he needs to eat -- a homer perhead for each person in his tent.'	16 "Now, this is what the LORD has commanded. So gather it that everyone has enough to eat, an omer for each person, as many of you as there are, each man providing for those of his own tent."
17 The Israelites did this. They col ected it, some more, some less.	17 The Israelites did so. Some gathered a large and some a small amount.
18 When they measured out what they had col ected by the homer, no one who had collected more hadtoo much, no one who had col ected less had too little. Each had col ected as much as he needed to eat.	18 But when they measured it out by the omer, he who had gathered a large amount did not have too much, and he who had gathered a small amount did not have too little. They so gathered that everyone had enough to eat.
19 Moses then said, 'No one may keep any of it for tomorrow.'	19 Moses also told them, "Let no one keep any of it over until tomorrow morning."
20 But some of them took no notice of Moses and kept part of it for the fol owing day, and it bredmaggots and smelt foul; and Moses was angry with them.	20 But they would not listen to him. When some kept a part of it over until the following morning, it became wormy and rotten. Therefore Moses was displeased with them.
21 Morning by morning they collected it, each man as much as he needed to eat, and once the sun grewhot, it melted away.	21 Morning after morning they gathered it, till each had enough to eat; but when the sun grew hot, the manna melted away.
22 Now, on the sixth day they col ected twice the amount of food: two homer per person, and al theleaders of the community came and told Moses this.	22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, two omers for each person. When all the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses,
23 Moses replied, 'This is what Yahweh said, "Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a Sabbath sacred toYahweh. Bake what you want to bake, boil what you want to boil; put aside what is left over, to be kept fortomorrow."	23 he told them, "That is what the LORD prescribed. Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, the sabbath, sacred to the LORD. You may either bake or boil the manna, as you please; but whatever is left put away and keep for the morrow."
24 So, as Moses ordered, they put it aside for the fol owing day, and its smel was not foul nor werethere maggots in it.	24 When they put it away for the morrow, as Moses commanded, it did not become rotten or wormy.
25 'Eat it today,' Moses said, 'for today is a Sabbath for Yahweh; you will find none in the fields today.	25 Moses then said, "Eat it today, for today is the sabbath of the LORD. On this day you will not find any of it on the ground.
26 For six days you wil col ect it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there wil be none.'	26 On the other six days you can gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, none of it will be there."
27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to col ect it, but they found none.	27 Still, on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather it, although they did not find any.
28 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'How much longer wil you refuse to obey my commandments and laws?	28 Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and laws?
29 Look, Yahweh has given you the Sabbath; this is why he gives you two days' food on the sixth day;each of you must stay in his place; on the seventh day no one may leave his home.'	29 Take note! The LORD has given you the sabbath. That is why on the sixth day he gives you food for two days. On the seventh day everyone is to stay home and no one is to go out."
30 So on the seventh day the people rested.	30 After that the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The House of Israel named it 'manna'. It was like coriander seed; it was white and its taste was likethat of wafers made with honey.	31 The Israelites called this food manna. It was like coriander seed, but white, and it tasted like wafers made with honey.
32 Moses then said, 'These are Yahweh's orders: Fil a homer with it and preserve it for yourdescendants, so that they can see the bread on which I fed you in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.'	32 Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded. Keep an omerful of manna for your descendants, that they may see what food I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of the land of Egypt."
33 Moses then said to Aaron, 'Take a jar and in it put a full homer of manna and store it in Yahweh'spresence, to be kept for your descendants.'	33 Moses then told Aaron, "Take an urn and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the LORD in safekeeping for your descendants."
34 Accordingly, Aaron stored it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved, as Yahweh had orderedMoses.	34 So Aaron placed it in front of the commandments for safekeeping, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
35 The Israelites ate manna for forty years, up to the time they reached inhabited country: they atemanna up to the time they reached the frontiers of Canaan.	35 The Israelites ate this manna for forty years, until they came to settled land; they ate manna until they reached the borders of Canaan.
36 A homer is one-tenth of an ephah.	36 (An omer is one tenth of an ephah.)