Exodus 14–15

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

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,^q Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds^r about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots,^s along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart^t of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.^u The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses^v and chariots, horsemen and troops^w—pursued the Israelites and overtook^x them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.^y

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried^z out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?^a What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 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!”^b

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.^c Stand firm and you will see^d the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see^e again. The Lord will fight^f for you; you need only to be still.”^g

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?^h Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staffⁱ and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water^j so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts^k of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.^l And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord^m when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

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

Then Moses stretched out his hand^r over the sea,^s and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind^t and turned it into dry land.^u The waters were divided,^v and the Israelites went through the sea^w on dry ground,^x with a wall^y of water on their right and on their left.

The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen^z followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud^a at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.^b He jammed 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 fighting^c for them against Egypt.”^d

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.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.^e The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.^f The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.^g Not one of them survived.^h

But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,ⁱ with a wall^j of water on their right and on their left. That day the Lord saved^k Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the great power^l the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared^m the Lord and put their trustⁿ in him and in Moses his servant.

The Song of Moses and Miriam

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

“I will sing^b to the Lord,

for he is highly exalted.

Both horse and driver^c

he has hurled into the sea.^d

“The Lord is my strength^e and my defense;

he has become my salvation.^f

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

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

The Lord is a warrior;ⁱ

the Lord is his name.^j

Pharaoh’s chariots and his army^k

he has hurled into the sea.

The best of Pharaoh’s officers

are drowned in the Red Sea.

The deep waters^l have covered them;

they sank to the depths like a stone.^m

Your right hand,ⁿ Lord,

was majestic in power.

Your right hand,^o Lord,

shattered^p the enemy.

“In the greatness of your majesty^q

you threw down those who opposed you.

You unleashed your burning anger;^r

it consumed^s them like stubble.

By the blast of your nostrils^t

the waters piled up.^u

The surging waters stood up like a wall;^v

the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.^w

The enemy boasted,

‘I will pursue,^x I will overtake them.

I will divide the spoils;^y

I will gorge myself on them.

I will draw my sword

and my hand will destroy them.’

But you blew with your breath,^z

and the sea covered them.

They sank like lead

in the mighty waters.^a

Who among the gods

is like you,^b Lord?

Who is like you—

majestic in holiness,^c

awesome in glory,^d

working wonders?^e

“You stretch out^f your right hand,

and the earth swallows your enemies.^g

In your unfailing love you will lead^h

the people you have redeemed.ⁱ

In your strength you will guide them

to your holy dwelling.^j

The nations will hear and tremble;^k

anguish^l will grip the people of Philistia.^m

The chiefsⁿ of Edom^o will be terrified,

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

the people of Canaan will melt^q away;

terror^r and dread will fall on them.

By the power of your arm

they will be as still as a stone^s—

until your people pass by, Lord,

until the people you bought^t pass by.^u

You will bring^v them in and plant^w them

on the mountain^x of your inheritance—

the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,^y

the sanctuary,^z Lord, your hands established.

“The Lord reigns

for ever and ever.”^a

When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea,^b the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.^c Then Miriam^d the prophet,^e Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels^f and dancing.^g Miriam sang^h to them:

“Sing to the Lord,

for he is highly exalted.

Both horse and driverⁱ

he has hurled into the sea.”^j

The Waters of Marah and Elim

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

Then Moses cried out^g to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw^h it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.ⁱ 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 keep^j all his decrees,^k I will not bring on you any of the diseases^l I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals^m you.”

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they campedⁿ there near the water.