Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
OEB No OEB EXO book available
WEBBE and the children of Israel said to them, “We wish that we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
WMBB (Same as above)
NET The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this desert to kill this whole assembly with hunger!”
LSV and the sons of Israel say to them, “Oh that we had died by the hand of YHWH in the land of Egypt, in our sitting by the flesh-pot, in our eating bread to satiety—for you have brought us out to this wilderness to put all this assembly to death with hunger.”
FBV “The Lord should've killed us back in Egypt!” the Israelites told them. “At least there we could sit down beside stewpots of meat and eat bread until we were full. But you had to bring all of us out here in the desert to starve us all to death!”
T4T They said to them/us, “We wish that Yahweh had killed us in Egypt! There we had meat to eat, and all the bread that we wanted. But you have brought us into this desert in order that we will all starve to death!”
LEB And the Israelites[fn] said to them, “If only we had died[fn] by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots[fn] of meat, when we ate bread until we were full,[fn] because you have brought us out to this desert to kill all of this assembly with hunger.”
BBE And the children of Israel said to them, It would have been better for the Lord to have put us to death in the land of Egypt, where we were seated by the flesh-pots and had bread enough for our needs; for you have taken us out to this waste of sand, to put all this people to death through need of food.
Moff No Moff EXO book available
JPS and the children of Israel said unto them: 'Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'
ASV and the children of Israel said unto them, Would that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
DRA And the children of Israel said to them: Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat over the flesh pots, and ate bread to the full. Why have you brought us into this desert, that you might destroy all the multitude with famine?
YLT and the sons of Israel say unto them, 'Oh that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, in our sitting by the flesh-pot, in our eating bread to satiety — for ye have brought us out unto this wilderness to put all this assembly to death with hunger.'
Drby And the children of Israel said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of Jehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we ate bread to the full; for ye have brought us out into this wilderness, to kill this whole congregation with hunger!
RV and the children of Israel said unto them, Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Wbstr And the children of Israel said to them, O that 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.
KJB-1769 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.
(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/you_all have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. )
KJB-1611 And the children of Israel saide vnto them, Would to God wee had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when wee sate by the flesh pots, and when we did eate bread to the full: for ye haue brought vs forth into this wildernesse, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)
Bshps And the chyldren of Israel sayde vnto them: Woulde to God we had dyed by the hande of the Lorde in the lande of Egypt, whe we sate by the fleshe pottes, and when we dyd eate bread our bellies full: for ye haue brought vs out into this wildernesse, to kyl this whole multitude with hunger.
(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 pottes, and when we did eat bread our bellies full: for ye/you_all have brought us out into this wilderness, to kyl this whole multitude with hunger.)
Gnva For the children of Israel sayde to them, Oh that we had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when wee sate by the flesh pots, when wee ate bread our bellies full: for yee haue brought vs out into this wildernesse, to kill this whole company with famine.
(For the children of Israel said to them, Oh that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, when we ate bread our bellies full: for ye/you_all have brought us out into this wilderness, to kill this whole company with famine. )
Cvdl and saide vnto them: Wolde God we had dyed in the londe of Egipte by the hande of the LORDE, whan we sat by ye flesh pottes, and had bred ynough to eate: for ye haue brought vs out in to this wyldernes, to cause this whole multitude dye of honger.
(and said unto them: Would God we had died in the land of Egypt by the hand of the LORD, when we sat by ye/you_all flesh pottes, and had bred enough to eat: for ye/you_all have brought us out in to this wilderness, to cause this whole multitude dye of hunger.)
Wycl And the sones of Israel seiden to hem, We wolden that we hadden be deed bi the `hoond of the Lord in the lond of Egipt, whanne we saten on the `pottis of fleisch, and eeten looues in plentee; whi leden ye vs in to this deseert, that ye schulden sle al the multitude with hungur?
(And the sons of Israel said to them, We wolden that we had be dead by the `hoond of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we saten on the `pottis of flesh, and eeten loaves in plentee; why led ye/you_all us in to this deseert, that ye/you_all should slay/kill all the multitude with hunger?)
Luth und sprachen: Wollte GOtt, wir wären in Ägypten gestorben durch des HErr’s Hand, da wir bei den Fleischtöpfen saßen und hatten die Fülle Brot zu essen! Denn ihr habt uns darum ausgeführet in diese Wüste, daß ihr diese ganze Gemeine Hungers sterben lasset.
(and said: Wollte God, we/us would_be in Egypt gestorben through the LORD’s Hand, there we/us at the fleshtöpfen saßen and hatten the Fülle bread to eat! Because you/their/her have us/to_us/ourselves therefore ausgeführet in this/these desert, that you/their/her this/these ganze Gemeine Hungers die lasset.)
ClVg Dixeruntque filii Israël ad eos: Utinam mortui essemus per manum Domini in terra Ægypti, quando sedebamus super ollas carnium, et comedebamus panem in saturitate: cur eduxistis nos in desertum istud, ut occideretis omnem multitudinem fame?[fn]
(Dixeruntque children Israel to them: Utinam mortui essemus through hand Master in earth/land Ægypti, when sedebamus over ollas carnium, and comedebamus panem in saturitate: cur eduxistis we in desert istud, as occideretis omnem multitudinem fame? )
BMM BibleMapper.com Maps:
The Route of the Exodus
Exodus 13-19; Numbers 33
Like several other events recorded in Scripture, the Bible’s account of the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai includes an abundance of geographical references, yet it remains one of the most hotly debated topics among scholars, and numerous theories have been offered. The vast majority of geographical references provided in the story are disputed, including the place where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, the location of Mount Sinai (see Proposed Locations for Mount Sinai map), and the various stops along the Israelites’ journey. A few locations have been established with some degree of scholarly consensus, but even these are not without opposing viewpoints. Amidst this incredible diversity of opinion, however, a single verse provides one of the most helpful clues for weighing the merits of one viewpoint over another: “By the way of Mount Seir it takes eleven days to reach Kadesh-barnea from Horeb” (Deuteronomy 1:2). For those who assume the Bible’s account to be trustworthy, this verse appears to require the following for any theory to be considered viable: 1) Kadesh-barnea and Mount Sinai must have been located at a distance from each other that could reasonably have been expected to take eleven days for an entire nation of people with small children, flocks, equipment, and perhaps even elderly members to travel on foot; and 2) the pace established by this distance over eleven days should most likely be considered the typical pace for the Israelites as they traveled from place to place along the other parts of the journey. This two-pronged test clearly strains many of the theories put forth to this point, especially when one factors in the time references given for the start of the journey (Exodus 12:6; Numbers 33:3), the middle of the journey (Exodus 16:1; Numbers 33:8), and the end of the journey (Exodus 19:1). In short, the journey from Rameses to the Wilderness of Sin took 31 days, since it included the 15th day of the second month, and the rest of the journey took another 16 days, assuming they arrived at Mount Sinai on the 15th day (not the first day, etc.) of the third month. Along with these criteria, a theory’s overall congruence with other established geographical and archeological data should bolster its credibility over other proposals. Another consideration is the extreme similarity between the events at Rephidim (Exodus 17) and the events at Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 20:1-13; 27:12-14; Deuteronomy 32:51; Ezekiel 47:19; 48:28), raising the question of whether Rephidim (meaning “resting places”) is in fact Kadesh-barnea. With these things in mind, the map below proposes a route for the exodus that meets virtually all of these criteria. A careful analysis and explanation of all the elements of the map is far beyond the scope of this article, but a few key points should be noted. The term Red Sea, in addition to referring to what we now regard it, must have also applied to the interconnected lakes and marshlands that lay along what is now the Suez Canal. Also, the portion of the journey that passed through the wilderness for three days without water (Exodus 15:22; Numbers 33:8) may have been comprised of a partial first day, a full second day, and a partial third day, much like Jesus’ time in the tomb is reckoned as three days in Matthew 12:40. Most notably, Mount Sinai is placed on this map at Gebel Khashm et-Tarif, which is appropriately located near, but not in, Midian (Exodus 3:1; 18:5; Numbers 10:29-30). It is also located 89 miles from Kadesh-barnea (assuming Kadesh is at Tall al-Quderat), which establishes a reasonable pace of 7.6 miles (12.2 km) per day to travel between them in 11 days. This lines up well with several known sources of water along that route (e.g., `Ain Qedeis [Hazar-addar?], Tamilat Suwelima [Hor-haggiggad?], and the spring at Kuntillet al-Girafi [unknown ancient identification]). This general pace then synchronizes very well with the timetable and distances required by this map for the other parts of the journey. The distance from Rameses to the Wilderness of Sin (where it is located here) could be completed in under 26 days, leaving an acceptable buffer of about 5 days for the parting of the Red Sea and perhaps a slower pace through the Wilderness of Shur/Etham. The entire journey took about 60 days, and the journey from the Wilderness of Sin to Mount Sinai took about 29 days. This leaves an acceptable buffer of time to complete the rest of the journey (about 16 days of travel) with a very adequate two weeks of extra time for Jethro to visit Moses and the Israelites to do battle with the Amalekites (Exodus 17-18). It should be noted that this timetable generally assumes (but does not necessarily require) that travel continued on sabbath days, but Scripture does not make clear whether travel was prohibited as work prior to the giving of the law at Mount Sinai.