Exodus 16 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Then the people left Elim and came to the Sinai desert, between Elim and Sinai. They arrived at that place on the 15th day of the second month [101] after leaving Egypt.

² Then the people of Israel began complaining again. They complained to Moses and Aaron in the desert.

³ The people said, “It would have been better if the Lord had just killed us in the land of Egypt. At least there we had plenty to eat. We had all the food we needed. But now you have brought us out here into this desert. So he can make us die from hunger.”

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will cause food to fall from the sky. This food will be for you to eat. Every day the people should go out and gather the food they need that day. I will do this to see if the people will do what I tell them.

⁵ Every day the people will gather only enough food for one day. But on Friday, when the people prepare their food {for Saturday}, they will see that they have enough food for two days. [102]

⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to the people of Israel, “Tonight you will see the power of the Lord. You will know that he is the One who brought you out of Egypt.

⁷ You complained to the Lord, and he heard you. So tomorrow morning you will see the Glory of the Lord. [103] You have been complaining and complaining to us. Maybe now we can have a little rest.”

⁸ And Moses said, “You have been complaining, and the Lord has heard your complaints. So tonight the Lord will give you meat. And in the morning you will have all the bread you need. You have been complaining to Aaron and me. But now, maybe we will have a little rest. Remember, you are not complaining against Aaron and me. You are complaining against the Lord.”

⁹ Then Moses said to Aaron, “Speak to all the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘Come together before the Lord, because he has heard your complaints.’”

¹⁰ Aaron spoke to all the people of Israel. They were all gathered together in one place. While Aaron was talking, all the people turned and looked into the desert. And they saw the Glory of the Lord [104] appear in a cloud.

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses,

¹² “I have heard the complaints of the people of Israel. So tell them, ‘Tonight you will eat meat. And in the morning you will have all the bread you want. Then you will know you can trust the Lord, your God.’”

¹³ That night, quails (birds) came all around the camp. {The people caught these birds for meat.} And in the morning dew lay on the ground near the camp.

¹⁴ After the dew was gone, something like thin flakes of frost was on the ground.

¹⁵ The people of Israel saw it and asked each other, “What is that?” [105] They asked this question because they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “This is the food the Lord is giving you to eat.

¹⁶ The Lord says, ‘Each person should gather what he needs. Each of you should gather a basket [106] for every person in your family.’”

¹⁷ So the people of Israel did this. Each person gathered this food. Some people gathered more than others.

¹⁸ The people gave the food to everyone in their family. After the food was measured, there was always enough for every person, but there was never too much. Each person gathered just enough for himself and his family to eat.

¹⁹ Moses told them, “Don’t save that food to eat the next day.”

²⁰ But some of the people did not obey Moses. Those people saved their food for the next day. But worms got into the food and it began to stink. Moses was angry with the people who did this.

²¹ Every morning the people gathered the food. Each person gathered as much as he could eat. But by noon [107] the food melted and was gone.

²² On Friday, the people gathered twice as much food. They gathered 2 baskets [108] for every person. So all the leaders of the people came and told this to Moses.

²³ Moses told them, “This is what the Lord said would happen. It happened because tomorrow is the Sabbath, the special day of rest to honor the Lord. You can cook all the food you need to cook for today. But save the rest of this food for tomorrow morning.”

²⁴ So the people saved the rest of the food for the next day. And none of the food spoiled. And worms did not get into any of it.

²⁵ On Saturday, Moses told the people, “Today is the Sabbath, the special day of rest to honor the Lord. So none of you should be out in the fields. Eat the food you gathered yesterday.

²⁶ You should gather the food for six days. But the seventh day {of the week} is a day of rest—so there will not be any of the special food on the ground.”

²⁷ On Saturday, some of the people went out to gather some of the food, but they could not find any.

²⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you people refuse to obey my commands and teachings?

²⁹ Look, the Lord has made the Sabbath a day of rest for you. So, on Friday the Lord will give you enough food for two days. Then, on the Sabbath, each of you should sit down and relax! Stay where you are.”

³⁰ So the people rested on the Sabbath.

³¹ The people began calling the special food “manna. [109] ” The manna was like small white coriander seeds, and it tasted like thin cakes made with honey.

³² Moses said, “The Lord said: ‘Save a basket [110] of this food for your descendants. [111] Then they can see the food that I gave to you in the desert when I took you out of Egypt.’”