^16:16“This is what⁴³ the Lord has commanded:⁴⁴ ‘Each person is to gather⁴⁵ from it what he can eat, an omer⁴⁶ per person⁴⁷ according to the number⁴⁸ of your people;⁴⁹ each one will pick it up⁵⁰ for whoever lives⁵¹ in his tent.’ ” ^16:17The Israelites did so, and they gathered—some more, some less. ^16:18When⁵² they measured with an omer, the one who gathered much had nothing left over, and the one who gathered little lacked nothing; each one had gathered what he could eat.

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Footnotes

43 Heb “the thing that.”
44 The perfect tense could be taken as a definite past with Moses now reporting it. In this case a very recent past. But in declaring the word from Yahweh it could be instantaneous, and receive a present tense translation—“here and now he commands you.”
45 The form is the plural imperative: “Gather [you] each man according to his eating.”
46 The omer is an amount mentioned only in this chapter, and its size is unknown, except by comparison with the ephah (v. 36). A number of recent English versions approximate the omer as “two quarts” (cf. , , ); “two litres.”
47 Heb “for a head.”
48 The word “number” is an accusative that defines more precisely how much was to be gathered (see §118.h).
49 Traditionally “souls.”
50 Heb “will take.”
51 “lives” has been supplied.
52 The preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive is subordinated here as a temporal clause.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’ ” And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’ ”

The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 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. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat. You may take two quarts per individual, according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’ ”

So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little. When they measured it by quarts, the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat.

NLTNew Living Translation

These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.”

So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

This is the word that Yahweh commanded, ‘Gather from it, each according to what he can eat, an omer per person according to the number of you. You each shall take enough for whoever is in his tent.’ ”

And the Israelites did so, and they gathered, some more and some less. And when they measured with the omer, the one gathering more had no surplus, and the one gathering less had no lack; they gathered each according to what he could eat.

KJV 1900King James Version

This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

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