Exodus 15:11–27

¹¹“Lord, who among the gods is like you?

Who is like you, wonderful in holiness?

Who can work miracles and mighty acts like yours?

¹²You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies.

¹³Faithful to your promise, you led the people you had rescued;

by your strength you guided them to your sacred land.

¹⁴The nations have heard, and they tremble with fear;

the Philistines are seized with terror.

¹⁵The leaders of Edom are terrified;

Moab’s mighty men are trembling;

the people of Canaan lose their courage.

¹⁶Terror and dread fall upon them.

They see your strength, O Lord,

and stand helpless with fear

until your people have marched past—

the people you set free from slavery.

¹⁷You bring them in and plant them on your mountain,

the place that you, Lord, have chosen for your home,

the Temple that you yourself have built.

¹⁸You, Lord, will be king for ever and ever.”

The Song of Miriam

¹⁹The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. But when the Egyptian chariots with their horses and drivers went into the sea, the Lord brought the water back, and it covered them.

²⁰The prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took her tambourine, and all the women followed her, playing tambourines and dancing. ²¹Miriam sang for them:

“Sing to the Lord, because he has won a glorious victory;

he has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea.”

Bitter Water

²²Then 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. ²³Then 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.^{o 24}The people complained to Moses and asked, “What are we going to drink?” ²⁵Moses 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. ²⁶He 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.”

²⁷Next they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and 70 palm trees; there they camped by the water.