Exodus 16

1They set out from Elim, and the whole community of the Israelites came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt.

2In the wilderness the whole community of the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

3The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by Yahweh’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted! But you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

4Then Yahweh said to Moses, “I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out and gather each day’s portion on that day, so that I may test them to see whether they will walk in my law or not.

5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.”

6So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was Yahweh who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

7and in the morning you will see the glory of Yahweh, because he has heard your grumbling against Yahweh. As for us, what are we, that you grumble against us?”

8Moses said, “This will happen when Yahweh gives you meat to eat in the evening and bread in the morning to fill you, for Yahweh has heard the grumbling you are directing against him. What are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against Yahweh.”

9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole community of the Israelites, ‘Come near before Yahweh, for he has heard your grumbling.’”

10While Aaron was speaking to the whole community of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and there was the glory of Yahweh appearing in the cloud.

11Yahweh said to Moses,

12“I have heard the grumbling 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 Yahweh your God.’”

13That evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

14When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was something thin and flaky, thin as frost on the ground.

15When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that Yahweh has given you to eat.

16This is what Yahweh has commanded: ‘Each of you is to gather as much of it as you can eat, an omer per person, according to the number of people you have. Each of you is to take it for those in your tent.’”

17The Israelites did so. Some gathered more and some less.

18But when they measured it by the omer, the one who had gathered much had nothing left over, and the one who had gathered little had no shortage. Each had gathered as much as he could eat.

19Moses said to them, “No one is to leave any of it until morning.”

20But they did not listen to Moses. Some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and began to stink. So Moses was angry with them.

21Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat, and when the sun grew hot, it melted.

22On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each person. All the leaders of the community came and reported it to Moses.

23He said to them, “This is what Yahweh has said: ‘Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to Yahweh. Bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and set aside whatever is left over and keep it until morning.’”

24So they set it aside until morning, as Moses had commanded, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it.

25Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to Yahweh. Today you will not find any in the field.

26Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

27Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none.

28Then Yahweh said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?

29See, Yahweh has given you the Sabbath. That is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Each of you must stay where you are; no one is to go out of his place on the seventh day.”

30So the people rested on the seventh day.

31The house of Israel called it manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like wafers made with honey.

32Moses said, “This is what Yahweh has commanded: ‘Keep a full omer of it throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

33Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, put a full omer of manna in it, and place it before Yahweh to be kept throughout your generations.”

34As Yahweh commanded Moses, Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept.

35The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they came to a land where people lived. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

36An omer is a tenth of an ephah.