Exodus 15:22–16:15

The Waters of Marah and Elim

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desertz of Shur.a For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.b 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.f c) 24 So the people grumbledd against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”e

25 Then Moses cried outf to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threwg it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.

There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.h 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keepi all his decrees,j I will not bring on you any of the diseasesk I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who healsl you.”

27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they campedm there near the water.

Manna and Quail

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

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heavent for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will testu 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 twicev 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,w 7 and in the morning you will see the gloryx of the Lord, because he has heard your grumblingy against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”z 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 grumblinga against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”b

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 gloryc of the Lord appearing in the cloud.d

11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumblinge 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.’ ”f

13 That evening quailg came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dewh around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frosti 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 knowj what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the breadk the Lord has given you to eat.