Exodus 15

The Song of Moses and Miriam

15Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song^p to the Lord:

“I will sing^q to the Lord,

for he is highly exalted.

Both horse and driver^r

he has hurled into the sea.^s

²“The Lord is my strength^t and my defense^a;

he has become my salvation.^u

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

my father’s God, and I will exalt^w him.

³The Lord is a warrior;^x

the Lord is his name.^y

⁴Pharaoh’s chariots and his army^z

he has hurled into the sea.

The best of Pharaoh’s officers

are drowned in the Red Sea.^b

⁵The deep waters^a have covered them;

they sank to the depths like a stone.^b

⁶Your right hand,^c Lord,

was majestic in power.

Your right hand,^d Lord,

shattered^e the enemy.

⁷“In the greatness of your majesty^f

you threw down those who opposed you.

You unleashed your burning anger;^g

it consumed^h them like stubble.

⁸By 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

⁹The 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.’

¹⁰But you blew with your breath,^o

and the sea covered them.

They sank like lead

in the mighty waters.^p

¹¹Who 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 out^u your right hand,

and the earth swallows your enemies.^v

¹³In your unfailing love you will lead^w

the people you have redeemed.^x

In your strength you will guide them

to your holy dwelling.^y

¹⁴The nations will hear and tremble;^z

anguish^a will grip the people of Philistia.^b

¹⁵The chiefs^c of Edom^d will be terrified,

the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,^e

the people^c of Canaan will melt^f away;

¹⁶terror^g and dread will fall on them.

By the power of your arm

they will be as still as a stone^h—

until your people pass by, Lord,

until the people you bought^di pass by.^j

¹⁷You will bring^k them in and plant^l them

on the mountain^m 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

¹⁹When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen^e 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 Miriam^s the prophet,^t Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels^u and dancing.^{v 21}Miriam sang^w to them:

“Sing to the Lord,

for he is highly exalted.

Both horse and driver^x

he has hurled into the sea.”^y

The Waters of Marah and Elim

²²Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert^z of Shur.^a For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.^{b 23}When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.^fc) ²⁴So the people grumbled^d against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”^e

²⁵Then Moses cried out^f to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw^g 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.^{h 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 keepⁱ all his decrees,^j I will not bring on you any of the diseases^k I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals^l you.”

²⁷Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped^m there near the water.