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Exodus 15:22-17:16
Good News Translation
Exodus 15:22-17:16
Good News Translation
Bitter Water
22 Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they walked through the desert, but found no water. 23 Then they came to a place called Marah, but the water there was so bitter that they could not drink it. That is why it was named Marah.[a] 24 The people complained to Moses and asked, “What are we going to drink?” 25 (A)Moses prayed earnestly to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood, which he threw into the water; and the water became fit to drink.
There the Lord gave them laws to live by, and there he also tested them. 26 He said, “If you will obey me completely by doing what I consider right and by keeping my commands, I will not punish you with any of the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians. I am the Lord, the one who heals you.”
27 Next they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees; there they camped by the water.
The Manna and the Quails
16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim, and on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, they came to the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. 2 There in the desert they all complained to Moses and Aaron 3 and said to them, “We wish that the Lord had killed us in Egypt. There we could at least sit down and eat meat and as much other food as we wanted. But you have brought us out into this desert to starve us all to death.”
4 (B)The Lord said to Moses, “Now I am going to cause food to rain down from the sky for all of you. The people must go out every day and gather enough for that day. In this way I can test them to find out if they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they are to bring in twice as much as usual and prepare it.”
6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt. 7 In the morning you will see the dazzling light of the Lord's presence. He has heard your complaints against him—yes, against him, because we are only carrying out his instructions.” 8 Then Moses said, “It is the Lord who will give you meat to eat in the evening and as much bread as you want in the morning, because he has heard how much you have complained against him. When you complain against us, you are really complaining against the Lord.”
9 Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole community to come and stand before the Lord, because he has heard their complaints.” 10 As Aaron spoke to the whole community, they turned toward the desert, and suddenly the dazzling light of the Lord appeared in a cloud. 11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them that at twilight they will have meat to eat, and in the morning they will have all the bread they want. Then they will know that I, the Lord, am their God.”
13 In the evening a large flock of quails flew in, enough to cover the camp, and in the morning there was dew all around the camp. 14 When the dew evaporated, there was something thin and flaky on the surface of the desert. It was as delicate as frost. 15 (C)When the Israelites saw it, they didn't know what it was and asked each other, “What is it?”
Moses said to them, “This is the food that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 The Lord has commanded that each of you is to gather as much of it as he needs, two quarts for each member of his household.”
17 The Israelites did this, some gathering more, others less. 18 (D)When they measured it, those who gathered much did not have too much, and those who gathered less did not have too little. Each had gathered just what he needed. 19 Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it for tomorrow.” 20 But some of them did not listen to Moses and saved part of it. The next morning it was full of worms and smelled rotten, and Moses was angry with them. 21 Every morning each one gathered as much as he needed; and when the sun grew hot, what was left on the ground melted.
22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts for each person. All the leaders of the community came and told Moses about it, 23 (E)and he said to them, “The Lord has commanded that tomorrow is a holy day of rest, dedicated to him. Bake today what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Whatever is left should be put aside and kept for tomorrow.” 24 As Moses had commanded, they kept what was left until the next day; it did not spoil or get worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat this today, because today is the Sabbath, a day of rest dedicated to the Lord, and you will not find any food outside the camp. 26 You must gather food for six days, but on the seventh day, the day of rest, there will be none.”
27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather food, but they did not find any. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How much longer will you people refuse to obey my commands? 29 Remember that I, the Lord, have given you a day of rest, and that is why on the sixth day I will always give you enough food for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day and not leave his home.” 30 So the people did no work on the seventh day.
31 (F)The people of Israel called the food manna.[b] It was like a small white seed, and tasted like thin cakes made with honey. 32 Moses said, “The Lord has commanded us to save some manna, to be kept for our descendants, so that they can see the food which he gave us to eat in the desert when he brought us out of Egypt.” 33 (G)Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, put two quarts of manna in it, and place it in the Lord's presence to be kept for our descendants.” 34 As the Lord had commanded Moses, Aaron put it in front of the Covenant Box, so that it could be kept. 35 (H)The Israelites ate manna for the next forty years, until they reached the land of Canaan, where they settled. (36 The standard dry measure then in use equaled twenty quarts.)
Water from the Rock(I)
17 (J)The whole Israelite community left the desert of Sin, moving from one place to another at the command of the Lord. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there to drink. 2 They complained to Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses answered, “Why are you complaining? Why are you putting the Lord to the test?”
3 But the people were very thirsty and continued to complain to Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? To kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
4 Moses prayed earnestly to the Lord and said, “What can I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5 The Lord said to Moses, “Take some of the leaders of Israel with you, and go on ahead of the people. Take along the stick with which you struck the Nile. 6 I will stand before you on a rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” Moses did so in the presence of the leaders of Israel.
7 The place was named Massah and Meribah,[c] because the Israelites complained and put the Lord to the test when they asked, “Is the Lord with us or not?”
War with the Amalekites
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Pick out some men to go and fight the Amalekites tomorrow. I will stand on top of the hill holding the stick that God told me to carry.” 10 Joshua did as Moses commanded him and went out to fight the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his arms, the Israelites won, but when he put his arms down, the Amalekites started winning. 12 When Moses' arms grew tired, Aaron and Hur brought a stone for him to sit on, while they stood beside him and held up his arms, holding them steady until the sun went down. 13 In this way Joshua totally defeated the Amalekites.
14 (K)Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write an account of this victory, so that it will be remembered. Tell Joshua that I will completely destroy the Amalekites.” 15 Moses built an altar and named it “The Lord is my Banner.” 16 He said, “Hold high the banner of the Lord![d] The Lord will continue to fight against the Amalekites forever!”
Footnotes
- Exodus 15:23 This name in Hebrew means “bitter.”
- Exodus 16:31 This word sounds like the Hebrew for “what is it?” (see verse 15).
- Exodus 17:7 These names in Hebrew mean “testing” and “complaining.”
- Exodus 17:16 Probable text Hold … Lord; Hebrew unclear.
Exodus 15:22-17:16
New International Version
Exodus 15:22-17:16
New International Version
The Waters of Marah and Elim
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert(A) of Shur.(B) For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.(C) 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.[a](D)) 24 So the people grumbled(E) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”(F)
25 Then Moses cried out(G) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw(H) 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.(I) 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 keep(J) all his decrees,(K) I will not bring on you any of the diseases(L) I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals(M) you.”
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped(N) there near the water.
Manna and Quail
16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin,(O) which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.(P) 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled(Q) against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!(R) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food(S) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”(T)
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven(U) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test(V) 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 twice(W) 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,(X) 7 and in the morning you will see the glory(Y) of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling(Z) against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”(AA) 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 grumbling(AB) against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”(AC)
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 glory(AD) of the Lord appearing in the cloud.(AE)
11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling(AF) 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.’”(AG)
13 That evening quail(AH) came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew(AI) around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost(AJ) 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 know(AK) what it was.
Moses said to them, “It is the bread(AL) the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer[b](AM) for each person you have in your tent.’”
17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 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.(AN) Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.
19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”(AO)
20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.(AP) So Moses was angry(AQ) with them.
21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice(AR) as much—two omers[c] for each person—and the leaders of the community(AS) came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath(AT) to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”
24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath,(AU) there will not be any.”
27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you[d] refuse to keep my commands(AV) and my instructions? 29 Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The people of Israel called the bread manna.[e](AW) It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’”
33 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna(AX) in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.”
34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law,(AY) so that it might be preserved. 35 The Israelites ate manna(AZ) forty years,(BA) until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.(BB)
36 (An omer(BC) is one-tenth of an ephah.)(BD)
Water From the Rock
17 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin,(BE) traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim,(BF) but there was no water(BG) for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water(BH) to drink.”(BI)
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”(BJ)
3 But the people were thirsty(BK) for water there, and they grumbled(BL) against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die(BM) of thirst?”
4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone(BN) me.”
5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff(BO) with which you struck the Nile,(BP) and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.(BQ) Strike(BR) the rock, and water(BS) will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah[f](BT) and Meribah[g](BU) because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
The Amalekites Defeated
8 The Amalekites(BV) came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.(BW) 9 Moses said to Joshua,(BX) “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff(BY) of God in my hands.”
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur(BZ) went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,(CA) but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.(CB) 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite(CC) army with the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write(CD) this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out(CE) the name of Amalek(CF) from under heaven.”
15 Moses built an altar(CG) and called(CH) it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[h] the throne of the Lord,[i] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites(CI) from generation to generation.”(CJ)
Footnotes
- Exodus 15:23 Marah means bitter.
- Exodus 16:16 That is, possibly about 3 pounds or about 1.4 kilograms; also in verses 18, 32, 33 and 36
- Exodus 16:22 That is, possibly about 6 pounds or about 2.8 kilograms
- Exodus 16:28 The Hebrew is plural.
- Exodus 16:31 Manna sounds like the Hebrew for What is it? (see verse 15).
- Exodus 17:7 Massah means testing.
- Exodus 17:7 Meribah means quarreling.
- Exodus 17:16 Or to
- Exodus 17:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
Good News Translation (GNT) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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