Exodus 16 - New International Version (NIV)

Manna and Quail

16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin,(A) which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.(B) 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled(C) against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!(D) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food(E) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”(F)

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven(G) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test(H) 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(I) 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,(J) 7 and in the morning you will see the glory(K) of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling(L) against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”(M) 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(N) against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”(O)

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(P) of the Lord appearing in the cloud.(Q)

11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling(R) 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.’”(S)

13 That evening quail(T) came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew(U) around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost(V) 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(W) what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread(X) 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[a](Y) 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.(Z) 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.”(AA)

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.(AB) So Moses was angry(AC) 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(AD) as much—two omers[b] for each person—and the leaders of the community(AE) 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(AF) 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,(AG) 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[c] refuse to keep my commands(AH) 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.[d](AI) 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(AJ) 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,(AK) so that it might be preserved. 35 The Israelites ate manna(AL) forty years,(AM) until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.(AN)

36 (An omer(AO) is one-tenth of an ephah.)(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 16:16 That is, possibly about 3 pounds or about 1.4 kilograms; also in verses 18, 32, 33 and 36
  2. Exodus 16:22 That is, possibly about 6 pounds or about 2.8 kilograms
  3. Exodus 16:28 The Hebrew is plural.
  4. Exodus 16:31 Manna sounds like the Hebrew for What is it? (see verse 15).

Cross references

  1. Exodus 16:1 : Ex 17:1; Nu 33:11, 12
  2. Exodus 16:1 : S Ex 6:6; 12:1-2
  3. Exodus 16:2 : S Ex 15:24; 1Co 10:10
  4. Exodus 16:3 : Ex 17:3; Nu 14:2; 20:3
  5. Exodus 16:3 : Nu 11:4, 34; Dt 12:20; Ps 78:18; 106:14; Jer 44:17
  6. Exodus 16:3 : S Ge 47:15; Dt 8:3
  7. Exodus 16:4 : ver 14-15; Dt 8:3; Ne 9:15; Ps 78:24; 105:40; S Jn 6:31*
  8. Exodus 16:4 : S Ge 22:1
  9. Exodus 16:5 : ver 22; Lev 25:21
  10. Exodus 16:6 : S Ex 6:6
  11. Exodus 16:7 : ver 10; Ex 24:16; 29:43; 33:18, 22; 40:34; Lev 9:6; Nu 16:19, 42; Dt 5:24; 1Ki 8:11; Ps 63:2; Isa 6:3; 35:2; 40:5; 44:23; 60:1; 66:18; Eze 1:28; 10:4; 43:5; Hab 2:14; Hag 2:7; Jn 11:40
  12. Exodus 16:7 : ver 12; Nu 11:1, 18; 14:2, 27, 28; 17:5
  13. Exodus 16:7 : Nu 16:11
  14. Exodus 16:8 : ver 7
  15. Exodus 16:8 : Nu 23:21; Dt 33:5; Jdg 8:23; 1Sa 8:7; 12:12; S Mt 10:40; Ro 13:2; 1Th 4:8
  16. Exodus 16:10 : S ver 7; Jn 11:4
  17. Exodus 16:10 : Ex 13:21; 40:34-35; 1Ki 8:10; 2Ch 7:1; Eze 10:4
  18. Exodus 16:12 : S ver 7
  19. Exodus 16:12 : S Ex 6:2; S 20:2
  20. Exodus 16:13 : Nu 11:31; Ps 78:27-28; 105:40; 106:15
  21. Exodus 16:13 : Nu 11:9
  22. Exodus 16:14 : ver 31; Nu 11:7-9; Dt 8:3, 16; Ps 105:40
  23. Exodus 16:15 : Dt 8:16
  24. Exodus 16:15 : S ver 4; Ne 9:20; S Jn 6:31
  25. Exodus 16:16 : ver 32, 36
  26. Exodus 16:18 : 2Co 8:15*
  27. Exodus 16:19 : ver 23; Ex 12:10
  28. Exodus 16:20 : ver 24
  29. Exodus 16:20 : Ex 32:19
  30. Exodus 16:22 : S ver 5
  31. Exodus 16:22 : Ex 34:31
  32. Exodus 16:23 : S Ge 2:3; S Ex 20:8; Dt 5:13-14
  33. Exodus 16:26 : ver 23
  34. Exodus 16:28 : Jos 9:14; Ps 78:10; 106:13; 107:11; 119:1; Jer 32:23
  35. Exodus 16:31 : S ver 14
  36. Exodus 16:33 : Heb 9:4; Rev 2:17
  37. Exodus 16:34 : Ex 25:16, 21, 22; 27:21; 31:18; 40:20; Lev 16:13; Nu 1:50; 7:89; 10:11; 17:4, 10; Dt 10:2; 1Ki 8:9; 2Ch 5:10
  38. Exodus 16:35 : Jn 6:31, 49
  39. Exodus 16:35 : Nu 14:33; 33:38; Dt 1:3; 2:7; 8:2-4; Jos 5:6; Jdg 3:11; Ne 9:21; Ps 95:10; Am 5:25
  40. Exodus 16:35 : Jos 5:12
  41. Exodus 16:36 : S ver 16
  42. Exodus 16:36 : Lev 5:11; 6:20; Nu 5:15; 15:4; 28:5

You Might Also Like:

Exodus 16 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

16 And they journey from Elim, and all the company of the sons of Israel come in unto the wilderness of Sin, which [is] between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month of their going out from the land of Egypt. 2 And all the company of the sons of Israel murmur against Moses and aga...
Read More

Exodus 16 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

16 And they went forth from Elim, and all the multitude of the sons of Israel came into the desert of Sin, which is betwixt Elim and Sinai, in the fifteenth day of the second month, after that they went out of the land of Egypt. (And they went forth from Elim, and all the multitude of the Israelites...
Read More

Exodus 16 - World English Bible (WEB)

16 They took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to 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. 2 The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmur...
Read More

Exodus 16 - The Voice (VOICE)

16 Then the entire community of Israel departed from Elim and entered the desert of Sin, which is located between Elim and Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from Egypt. The covenant people leave the pleasant, coastal area around Elim to begin ...
Read More

Exodus 16 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Manna From Heaven16 They journeyed on from Elim, and the entire community of Bnei-Yisrael came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after leaving the land of Egypt. 2 But the whole congregation of Bnei-Yisrael murmured against Moses and...
Read More

Exodus 16 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Bread from Heaven16 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel ...
Read More

Exodus 16 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Bread from Heaven16 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel ...
Read More

Exodus 16 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Bread from Heaven16 The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained a...
Read More

Exodus 16 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Bread from Heaven16 The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim and came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt.(A)2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against ...
Read More

Exodus 16 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Manna and Quail from Heaven16 Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin,[a] between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt.[b] 2 There, too, the whole community o...
Read More

Exodus 16 - New Life Version (NLV)

Bread in the Morning, Meat in the Evening16 All the people of Israel left Elim, and came to the Desert of Sin, between Elim and Sinai. It was the fifteenth day of the second month after they left the land of Egypt. 2 And all the people of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert, 3 ...
Read More

Exodus 16 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Bread from Heaven16 And they (A)journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and (B)Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. 2 Then the whole congregation of the childr...
Read More

Exodus 16 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Manna and quail16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said t...
Read More

Exodus 16 - New International Version (NIV)

Manna and Quail16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin,(A) which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.(B) 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled(C) against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites...
Read More

Exodus 16 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Lord Gives Israel Food Every Day16 The whole community of Israel started out from Elim. They came to the Desert of Sin. It was between Elim and Sinai. They arrived there on the 15th day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community told Moses and Aaro...
Read More

Exodus 16 - New English Translation (NET)

The Provision of Manna16 [a] When[b] they journeyed from Elim, the entire company[c] of Israelites came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their exodus[d] from the land of Egypt. 2 The entire company[e] of Israelites murmured ag...
Read More