Crossing the Sea

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”b 18 So God ledc the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.a The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.d

19 Moses took the bones of Josephe with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”b f

20 After leaving Sukkothg they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.h 21 By day the Lord went aheadi of them in a pillar of cloudj to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night leftk its place in front of the people.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdoll and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.m 3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,n and he will pursue them.o But I will gain gloryp for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”q So the Israelites did this.

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,r Pharaoh and his officials changed their mindss about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots,t along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heartu of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.v 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horsesw and chariots, horsemena and troopsx—pursued the Israelites and overtooky them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.z

10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and crieda out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?b What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”c

13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.d Stand firm and you will seee the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never seef again. 14 The Lord will fightg for you; you need only to be still.”h

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?i Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staffj and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the waterk so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the heartsl of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.m And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lordn when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

19 Then the angel of God,o who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloudp also moved from in front and stood behindq them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darknessr to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hands over the sea,t and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east windu and turned it into dry land.v The waters were divided,w 22 and the Israelites went through the seax on dry ground,y with a wallz of water on their right and on their left.

23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemena followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloudb at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.c 25 He jammedb the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fightingd for them against Egypt.”e

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.f The Egyptians were fleeing towardc it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.g 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.h Not one of them survived.i

29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,j with a wallk of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord savedl Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty handm of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people fearedn the Lord and put their trusto in him and in Moses his servant.

The Song of Moses and Miriam

15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this songp to the Lord:

“I will singq to the Lord,

for he is highly exalted.

Both horse and driverr

he has hurled into the sea.s

2 “The Lord is my strengtht and my defensea;

he has become my salvation.u

He is my God,v and I will praise him,

my father’s God, and I will exaltw him.

3 The Lord is a warrior;x

the Lord is his name.y

4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his armyz

he has hurled into the sea.

The best of Pharaoh’s officers

are drowned in the Red Sea.b

5 The deep watersa have covered them;

they sank to the depths like a stone.b

6 Your right hand,c Lord,

was majestic in power.

Your right hand,d Lord,

shatterede the enemy.

7 “In the greatness of your majestyf

you threw down those who opposed you.

You unleashed your burning anger;g

it consumedh them like stubble.

8 By the blast of your nostrilsi

the waters piled up.j

The surging waters stood up like a wall;k

the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.l

9 The enemy boasted,

‘I will pursue,m I will overtake them.

I will divide the spoils;n

I will gorge myself on them.

I will draw my sword

and my hand will destroy them.’

10 But you blew with your breath,o

and the sea covered them.

They sank like lead

in the mighty waters.p

11 Who among the gods

is like you,q Lord?

Who is like you—

majestic in holiness,r

awesome in glory,s

working wonders?t

12 “You stretch outu your right hand,

and the earth swallows your enemies.v

13 In your unfailing love you will leadw

the people you have redeemed.x

In your strength you will guide them

to your holy dwelling.y

14 The nations will hear and tremble;z

anguisha will grip the people of Philistia.b

15 The chiefsc of Edomd will be terrified,

the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,e

the peoplec of Canaan will meltf away;

16  terrorg and dread will fall on them.

By the power of your arm

they will be as still as a stoneh—

until your people pass by, Lord,

until the people you boughtd i pass by.j

17 You will bringk them in and plantl them

on the mountainm of your inheritance—

the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,n

the sanctuary,o Lord, your hands established.

18 “The Lord reigns

for ever and ever.”p

19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemene went into the sea,q the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.r 20 Then Miriams the prophet,t Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrelsu and dancing.v 21 Miriam sangw to them:

“Sing to the Lord,

for he is highly exalted.

Both horse and driverx

he has hurled into the sea.”y