1以色列子民全會眾從厄林起程，來到厄林和西乃之間的欣曠野，時在離埃及後第二月第十五日。 1And they set forward from Elim, and all the multitude of the children of Israel came into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai: the fifteenth day of the second month, after they came out of the land of Egypt.
2以色列子民全會眾在曠野裡都抱怨梅瑟和亞郎。 2And all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
3以色列子民向他們說：「巴不得我們在埃及國坐在肉鍋旁，有食物吃飽的時候，死在上主的手中！你們領我們到這曠野裡來，是想叫這全會眾餓死啊！」 3And the children of Israel said to them: Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat over the flesh pots, and ate bread to the full. Why have you brought us into this desert, that you might destroy all the multitude with famine?
4上主向梅瑟說：「看，我要從天上給你們降下食物，百姓要每天出去收歛當日所需要的，為試探他們是否遵行我的法律。 4And the Lord said to Moses: Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you: let the people go forth, and gather what is sufficient for every day: that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law, or not.
5但到第六天，他們準備帶回來的食物要比每天多一倍。」 5But the sixth day let them provide for to bring in: and let it be double to that they were wont to gather every day.
6梅瑟和亞郎對全以色列子民說：「今晚你們要知道，是上主領你們出了埃及國； 6And Moses and Aaron said to the children of Israel: In the evening you shall know that the Lord hath brought you forth out of the land of Egypt:
7明早你們要看見上主的榮耀，因為你們抱怨上主的話，他已聽見了。我們算什麼？你們竟抱怨我們！」 7And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord: for he hath heard your murmuring against the Lord: but as for us, what are we, that you mutter against us?
8梅瑟又說：「晚上上主要給你們肉吃，早晨你們可以吃飽，因為上主聽見了你們抱怨他所說的怨言。我們算什麼？你們不是抱怨我們，而是抱怨上主。」 8And Moses said: In the evening the Lord will give you flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full: for he hath heard your murmurings, with which you have murmured against him, for what are we? your murmuring is not against us, but against the Lord.
9梅瑟向亞郎說：「你向以色列子民全會眾說：你們應走到上主前，因為他聽見了你們的怨言。」 9Moses also said to Aaron: Say to the whole congregation of the children of Israel: Come before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmuring.
10亞郎正向以色列子民全會眾說話的時候，他們轉面朝向曠野，看見上主的榮耀顯現在雲彩中。 10And when Aaron spoke to all the assembly of the children of Israel, they looked towards the wilderness: and behold the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud.
11那時上主向梅瑟說： 11And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12「我聽見了以色列子民的怨言。你給他們說：黃昏的時候你們要有肉吃，早晨要有食物吃飽，這樣你們就知道，我是上主，你們的天主。」 12I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel: say to them: In the evening you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread: and you shall know that I am the Lord your God.
13到了晚上，有鵪鶉飛來，遮蓋了營幕；到了早晨，營幕四周落了一層露水。 13So it came to pass in the evening, that quails coming up, covered the camp: and in the morning, a dew lay round about the camp.
14露水昇化之後，在曠野的地面上，留下稀薄的碎屑，稀薄得好像地上的霜。 14And when it had covered the face of the earth, it appeared in the wilderness small, and as it were beaten with a pestle, like unto the hoar frost on the ground.
15以色列子民一見，就彼此問說：「這是什麼？」原來他們不知道這是什麼。梅瑟告訴他們說：「這是上主賜給你們吃的食物。 15And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another: Manhu! which signifieth: What is this! for they knew not what it was. And Moses said to them: This is the bread, which the Lord hath given you to eat.
16上主曾這樣吩咐說：你們應按每人的食量去收歛，按照你們帳幕的人數去拾取，每人一『曷默爾』。 16This is the word, that the Lord hath commanded: Let every one gather of it as much as is enough to eat: a gomor for every man, according to the number of your souls that dwell in a tent, so shall you take of it.
17以色列子民就照樣作了；收歛的時候，有的多，有的少， 17And the children of Israel did so: and they gathered, one more, another less.
18但他們用『曷默爾』衡量時，那多收的，也沒有剩餘；那少收的，也沒有缺少；各人正按他們的食量收歛了。 18And they measured by the measure of a gomor: neither had he more that had gathered more: nor did he find less that had provided less: but every one had gathered, according to what they were able to eat.
19梅瑟向他們說：「誰也不准將一些留到早晨。」 19And Moses said to them: Let no man leave thereof till the morning.
20但他們沒有聽梅瑟的話；有些人把一些留到早晨，但都被虫子咬爛，發生臭味；梅瑟遂向他們發怒。 20And they hearkened not to him, but some of them left until the morning, and it began to be full of worms, an it putrified, and Moses was angry with them.
21於是他們每天早晨按各人的食量去收歛；太陽一發熱，就融化了。 21Now every one of them gathered in the morning, as much as might suffice to eat: and after the sun grew hot, it melted.
22到了第六天他們收歛了兩倍的食物，每人二『曷默爾』；會眾的首領來向梅瑟報告此事。 22But on the sixth day they gathered twice as much, that is, two gomors every man: and all the rulers of the multitude came, and told Moses.
23梅瑟向他們說：「上主曾這樣吩咐說：明天是安息日，是祝聖於上主的安息聖日；你們要烤的，就烤罷！要煮的，就煮罷！凡吃了剩下的，應保留到次日。」 23And he said to them: This is what the Lord hath spoken: Tomorrow is the rest of the sabbath sanctified to the Lord. Whatsoever work is to be done, do it: and the meats that are to be dressed, dress them: and whatsoever shall remain, lay it up until the morning.
24他們就照梅瑟所吩咐的，把吃了剩下的，留到次日也沒有發臭，也沒有蟲咬。 24And they did so as Moses had commanded, and it did not putrify, neither was there worm found in it.
25梅瑟說道：「今天吃這些罷！因為今天是敬上主的安息日，今天在野外什麼也找不到。 25And Moses said: Eat it today, because it is the sabbath of the Lord: today it shall not be found in the field.
26六天你們可去收歛，但第七天是安息日，什麼也沒有。」 26Gather it six days: but on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord, therefore it shall not be found.
27到了第七天，百姓中有人去收歛，但什麼也沒有找到。 27And the seventh day came: and some of the people going forth to gather, found none.
28上主向梅瑟說：「你們不守我的命令和我的法律要到何時呢？ 28And the Lord said to Moses: How long will you refuse to keep my commandments, and my law?
29看上主給你們立了安息日，為此到第六天他給你們兩天的食物；到第七天各人都應留在家內，不准任何人離開自己的地方。」 29See that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, and for this reason on the sixth day he giveth you a double provision: let each man stay at home, and let none go forth out of his place the seventh day.
30這樣百姓在第七天守了安息日。 30And the people kept the sabbath on the seventh day.
31以色列家給這食物取名叫「瑪納」。它像胡荽的種子那樣白，滋味好似蜜餅。 31And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed white, and the taste thereof like to flour with honey.
32梅瑟說：「上主這樣吩咐說：裝滿一『曷默爾』瑪納，留給你們的後代子孫，為使他們能看到我領你們出離埃及國時，在曠野裡養活你們的食物。」 32And Moses said: This is the word, which the Lord hath commanded: Fill a gomor of it, and let it be kept unto generations to come hereafter, that they may know the bread, wherewith I fed you in the wilderness, when you were brought forth out of the land of Egypt.
33梅瑟向亞郎說：「拿一個罐子，裝滿一『曷默爾』瑪納，放在上主面前，留給你們的後代子孫。」 33And Moses said to Aaron: Take a vessel, and put manna into it, as much as a gomor can hold: and lay it up before the Lord to keep unto your generations,
34亞郎就照上主吩咐梅瑟的話，將瑪納放在約版前面，保留起來。 34As the Lord commanded Moses. And Aaron put it in the tabernacle to be kept.
35以色列子民吃瑪納四十年之久，直到進入有人居住的地方為止；他們吃瑪納，直到進入客納罕地的邊界。 35And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land: with this meat were they fed, until they reached the borders of the land of Chanaan.
36一『曷默爾』是一『厄法』的十分之一。 36Now a gomor is the tenth part of an ephi.
16:1-36
天主在欣旷野开始降「玛纳」养活自己的百姓。本章是由二叁轶事写成，所述前後虽略有出入，但大体上说，「玛纳」的记载，确是显扬天主伟大作为的文件，而此伟大作为，已深深印在旧新两约的作者心中（参阅户11:7-9；申8:3-16；苏5:12；咏78:23-25; 105:40; 106:15；智16:20-21；格前10:3；希9:4；若6:26-60）。「玛纳」是圣体圣事的预象：「玛纳」是自天而降，养育以色列人的食粮，直至他们进入福地；耶稣圣体是自天而降，养育新约选民的神粮，直至他们进入天乡。
16:22-30
4-30节，为百姓制定遵守安息日的法律（参阅20:8; 23:12; 34:21）。「不准……离开自己的地方」，即谓不准出外工作。
16:33-34
建立会幕之前（户9:15-23），以色列人在旷野已有公共恭敬天主的地方。建有会幕之後，即将十诫的两块石版、约柜和「玛纳」，安置在会幕内。「放在约版前面」，原文作「放在证据面前」。
16:35
参阅苏5:10-12。