16 Then they left Elim, and all the Israelis entered into the wilderness at Siyn (between Elim and Sinai) around six weeks after leaving Egypt, 2 and all the Israelis murmured against Mosheh and Aharon there in the wilderness, 3 saying, “If only Yahweh had killed us in Egypt, where we’d be sitting by a pot of meat eating bread until we’re full, because you’ve brought us out into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

4 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, “Just watch me make food rain down from the sky for you all. Then the people will be able to go out every day and gather enough for that day so that I can test them: Will they obey my law or not?[ref] 5 But every Friday they can gather and prepare twice as much as what they gather on the other days.”

6 So Mosheh and Aharon told all the Israelis, “This evening you’ll all know that Yahweh was the one who brought you out from Egypt. 7 In the morning you’ll all see Yahweh’s greatness as he’s heard your murmurings against him. I mean, who are we that you’d murmur against us?” 8 Then Mosheh continued, “So Yahweh will give you all meat to eat in the evening and enough bread in the morning to make you all full. Yes, Yahweh has heard your murmurings against him. As for us, we’re insignificant. Your murmuring isn’t against us, but against Yahweh.”

9 Then Mosheh told Aharon, “Summon everyone to come and face Yahweh, because he’s heard their murmurings.” 10 And so while Aharon spoke to all the Israelis, they turned toward the wilderness, and wow, Yahweh’s dazzling brightness appeared in the cloud! 11 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, 12 “I’ve heard the murmurings of the Israelis. Speak to them saying, ‘In the evenings, you’ll all eat meat, and in the mornings you’ll all be satisfied with bread. Then you’ll all know that I’m your God, Yahweh.’ ”

13 And so that evening, quail appeared and covered the camp. And in the morning, something like dew was lying all around the camp, 14 and when it evaporated, wow, it left behind thin flakes—thin like frost on the ground there in the wilderness. 15 When the Israelis saw it, they asked each other, ‘What is it?’ because they didn’t know what it was.

And Mosheh told them, “It’s the food that Yahweh has given you all to eat.[ref] 16 These are Yahweh’s instructions: Gather enough of it according to how many people you’re feeding—about two litres per person who lives in your tents.”

17 So the Israelis went ahead and gathered it—some collecting a lot, and others, less, 18 but when they measured it out, those who’d collected a lot didn’t have any extra, and those who hadn’t gathered so much still had enough to eat—each person had gathered just enough.[ref] 19 Then Mosheh told them, “Don’t save any of it for tomorrow,” 20 but some of them didn’t take any notice of him and kept it until the next morning. However, by then it was full of maggots and smelt rotten, and Mosheh was very angry at them.

21 So from that day onwards, they gathered it every morning, depending on how many they were feeding, and then when the sun got hot, the rest melted away. 22 On the Friday, they gathered twice as much—around four litres for each person—and all the leaders of the community came and informed Mosheh 23 and he told them, “This is what Yahweh said: Tomorrow is a rest day to be set aside for Yahweh. So bake or cook your food, and keep the left-overs overnight to use in the morning.”[ref] 24 So they did what Mosheh had told them and kept the left-overs until the morning, and it didn’t stink or have any bugs in it. 25 On that Saturday morning, Mosheh told them, “Go ahead and eat the previously cooked food because today is set aside for Yahweh and so you all won’t find any more on the ground—26 you’ll gather it for six days each week, but on the Saturday, there won’t be any.”

27 However, some people did go out to collect it, but they couldn’t find any, 28 and Yahweh said to Mosheh, “For how long will you all keep refusing to obey my commandments and my laws? 29 Listen, Yahweh has given you the Rest Day, so on the Friday he gives you food for two days. On the Saturday, everyone should stay where they are—there’s no need for anyone to go outside searching.” 30 So the people didn’t work on the Saturday.

31 The Israelis named it ‘manna’ (which sounds like Hebrew ‘What is it?’). It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like wafers with honey.[ref] 32 Then Mosheh said, “This is the procedure that Yahweh has commanded: Keep a full measure of it for preservation for your descendants so that they can see the food which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out from Egypt.” 33 So Mosheh said to Aharon, “Take a jar and fill it with the full two litres of manna. Place it in front of Yahweh for preservation for your descendants.”[ref] 34 So Aharon prepared the jar and kept it (and would eventually place it in the box with the stone tablets.) 35 The Israelis ate manna for forty years, until they eventually left the wilderness and came to the borders of the region of Canaan.[ref] 36 (Two litres is called an ‘omer’ which is a tenth of a ‘efah’.)