The Manna and the Quails
1 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 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 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 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 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 The people of Israel called the food manna. 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 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 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.)
Mana ne hwalishanga
1 Gubungano lose le Iziraela likamilika kudwa mu Elimu likangina mu tjilambanyika tje Sini tji pakati kwe Elimu ne Sinai nge zhuba le bugumi lina mazhuba ali mashanu e mwedzi we bubili basinobhuda mu shango ye Egipiti. 2 Gubungano lose le Iziraela likang'ong'ola kakale kuna Mushe na Aroni mu tjilambanyika. 3 Likati ku bali, “Dzene Yahwe bakabe batibulayila mu shango ye Egipiti titjigele pa hali dze nyama tija zojiwa tiguta, ngoti imwi makatizhisa mu tjilambanyika itjetji kowobulaya itjaba tjose itjetji nge zhala.”
4 Yahwe ipapo bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Bona, ndowomburudzila tjiwunga kumuli tjidwa kudzimu, ngono bathu bayende banonunga tjakabalizana nge zhuba, kuti ndibone kene banowolondolodza nlayo wangu kene aa. 5 Nge zhuba le butathatu banunge kwakalizana mazhuba mabili babige.”
6 Ndizo Mushe na Aroni bakadwa Baiziraela bose bakati, “Mu madekwana mowoziba kuti ndi Yahwe bakamudusa mu shango ye Egipiti. 7 Mu mangwanana mowobona gudzo la Yahwe ngoti bahwa ng'ong'olo yenyu nge kwabo. Iswi tini kene bamungashwa mung'ong'olela?” 8 Mushe kabadwa kati, “Ha Yahwe bemupa nyama kuti muje madekwana, mangwanana banowomupa tjiwunga kuti muje mugute, ngoti Yahwe bahwa ng'ong'olo dzenyu dzamakabang'ong'olela. Iswi tini kene? Ng'ong'olo dzenyu adzizolingisana naswi koga dzakalingisana na Yahwe.” 9 Mushe kadwa Aroni kati, “Idwa gubungano lose le Iziraela uti, ‘Izhani pana Yahwe, ngoti bahwa ng'ong'olo dzenyu.’ ” 10 Ngono kukati Aroni atjalebeleka ne gubungano lose le Iziraela, bakalinga ku tjilambanyika ngono bakabona tjedza tja Yahwe tjiboneka mu gole. 11 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 12 “Ndahwa kung'ong'ola kwe Baiziraela, ubadwe uti, ‘Madekwana mowoja nyama, koga mu mangwanana mowogutshiwa nge tjiwunga, ipapo mowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu.’ ”
13 Mu madekwana hwalishanga dzikazha dzikazhala mu buthibelelo; koga mu mangwanana khawa ikawa kose mu buthibelelo. 14 Kukati khawa yapela, kukaboneka kuna kuthu kunonga zwiyengana zwe makaa e vula kwakaandama pasi mu tjilambanyika. 15 Baiziraela bakati bekubona bakabhuzwana bakati, “Ini ikoku?” Bakabe basingazibe kuti ini. Ngono Mushe kabadwa kati, “Nditjo tjiwunga tjamapiwa ndi Yahwe kuti muje. 16 Yahwe bakati: Mmwe ne mmwe wenyu anunge kwakanlizana kuja; nthu anunge buleke kuyendidzane ne mbalo ye be nsha uwe.”
17 Ngono Baiziraela bakathama beijalo; bamwe bakanunga kunji bamwe kushomanana kuyenda nge bunji gwabo. 18 Koga bakati bekuyela nge lithara dzili mbili, bakawana wanunga kuli kunji asina tjajiwa tjikasala, wanunga kushomanana kwanlizana ngoti mmwe ne mmwe anunga kwakanlizana kuja. 19 Mushe kabadwa kati, “Kusibe ne unowokubiga kuswikila tjimuka.” 20 Koga bakasihwilile Mushe; kukathama kuti Mushe abazhalile bushongola. Ibabo bakasiya bakabiga kuswikila tjimuka, ngono kukabe ne hwonye kukanuhwa. 21 Bakabe bekukubunganya mangwanana mamwe ne mamwe, mmwe ne mmwe ekubunganya kwakanlizana kuja, koga kwakabe kuti zhuba alopisa kukanyawuka.
22 Mu zhuba le butathatu bakanunga zwilizanyo zwili zwibili, lithara mbili kabili. Ngono batungamili bose be gubungano bakazha kuna Mushe bakambudza. 23 Mushe iye kati ku bali, “Itjetji nditjo tjakalebgwa ndi Yahwe beti: ‘Mangwana i zhuba le nsi, zhuba lakayengemala le nsi la Yahwe, bhikani tjamungabhika, ngono kunowobe kwasala mukubigile mangwana.’ ” 24 Ndizo bakakubiga kuswikila mangwana sekwa bakadwiwa ndi Mushe, ngono kukasitongo bola ne hwonye dzikasibepo mu kuli. 25 Mushe kabadwa kati, “Mukuje nasi, nasi i zhuba le nsi we Sabata ya Yahwe, nasi amungakuwane ku shango. 26 Mungabe mukununga mu mazhuba ali matathatu, koga mu zhuba le kutendeka, zhuba le nsi, akutowobepo.”
27 Mu zhuba le kutendeka bamwe bakabhuda beti banononunga, koga bakawana kusina. 28 Yahwe bakabhuzwa Mushe bakati, “Kowotola tjibaka tjingapani mulamba kulondolodza ndayo dzangu ne milayo yangu kene? 29 Bona! Yahwe bakamupa nsi we Sabata, ndizo mu zhuba le butathatu banomupa tjiwunga tjakalizana mazhuba mabili; mmwe ne mmwe wenyu agale mu magalo awe, kusiyite unobhuda mu magalo awe nge zhuba le kutendeka.” 30 Ndizo bathu bakanyaluluka mu zhuba le kutendeka.
31 Baiziraela bakakupa zina beti mana; kwakabe kulingika se mbewu ye ntinyana unoyi koriyanda, kuli kutjena ku labilika se tjiwunga tjabhikwa nge butji. 32 Mushe kabadwa kati, “Itjetji nditjo tjakalebgwa ndi Yahwe beti: ‘Mutole lithara yako muibige kuti zwizekugwana zose zwizhe zwibone tjiwunga tjandakamutjidza nditjo mu tjilambanyika pandakamudusa mu shango ye Egipiti.’ ” 33 Ndizo Mushe kadwa Aroni kati, “Tola lukamba ulonge mana ye tjilizanyo tje bulekana muili ube uibiga mbeli kwa Yahwe ibigigwe zwizekugwana zwenyu zose.” 34 Aroni kalibiga mbeli kwe Bhokisi le Tjidumano se kwakadwiwa Mushe ndi Yahwe kuti libigiwe. 35 Ngono Baiziraela bakatjila beja mana makole ali makumi manna kudzina beswika mu shango inogalika, bakaja mana kudzina beswika ku n'gathu we shango ye Kanana. 36 (Tjiyelo tjakabe tjiyegwa natjo tjakabe tjilizana lithara mbili.)