Exodus 14
1 Then the LORD said to Moses,
The Lord told Moses,
2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal-zephon.
“Tell the Israelites to turn back and set up camp near Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to camp beside the sea, opposite Baal-zephon.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’
Pharaoh will conclude about the Israelites: ‘They're wandering about the country in confusion—the desert has blocked them from leaving.’
4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did.
I will give Pharaoh a stubborn attitude so that he will chase after them to get them back. But I will gain respect through what happens to Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did as they were instructed.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”
When the king of Egypt found out that the Israelites had left in a hurry, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about what had happened and said, “What have we done? We have let all these Israelite slaves go!”
6 So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him.
So Pharaoh had his chariot made ready and set out with his army.
7 He took 600 of the best chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.
He took 600 of his best chariots along with all the other chariots of Egypt, each with their officer-in-charge.
8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly.
The Lord gave Pharaoh, king of Egypt, a stubborn attitude so he chased after the Israelites, who were leaving with their fists raised in triumph.
9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon.
The Egyptians set out in pursuit—all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and soldiers. They caught up with the Israelites while they were camped beside the sea near Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
The Israelites looked back and saw Pharaoh and the Egyptian army approaching. They were absolutely terrified and cried out to the Lord for help.
11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
They complained to Moses, “Were there no graves in Egypt that you had to bring us out here in the desert to die? What have you done to us by making us leave Egypt?
12 Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Didn't we tell you back in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we can go on being slaves to the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to be Egyptian slaves than to die here in the desert!”
13 But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.
But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand where you are and you will see how the Lord will save you today. The Egyptians you see right now, you will never see again!
14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
The Lord is going to fight for you—you don't need to do anything.”
15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.
The Lord told Moses, “Why are you crying out to me for help? Tell the Israelites to move forward.
16 And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
You are to pick up your walking stick and hold it out in your hand over the sea. Divide it so the Israelites can walk through the sea on dry ground.
17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen.
I will give Egyptians a stubborn, hard-hearted attitude so that they will chase in after them. Then I will gain respect through what happens to Pharaoh and all his army, chariots, and horsemen.
18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain respect through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them,
The angel of God, who had been leading the Israelites, moved behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front of them and stood behind them,
20 so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So all night long neither camp went near the other.
so that it was positioned between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. Though the cloud was in darkness on one side, but it lit up the night on the other. No one from either camp went near the other during the night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided,
Then Moses held out his hand over the sea, and all through the night the Lord forced the sea back with a strong east wind, and turned the bottom of the sea into dry land. So the water was divided,
22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
and the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water to their right and left.
23 And the Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen—and followed them into the sea.
The Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen. They followed the Israelites into the sea.
24 At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion.
But at the end of the night the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw them into a panic.
25 He caused their chariot wheels to wobble, so that they had difficulty driving. “Let us flee from the Israelites,” said the Egyptians, “for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!”
He made their chariot wheels get stuck so it was hard for them to drive. The Egyptians shouted out, “Retreat! We must run from the Israelites because the Lord is fighting for them against us!”
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.”
Then the Lord told Moses, “Hold out your hand over the sea, so that the water will pour back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”
27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the LORD swept them into the sea.
So Moses held out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to normal. As the Egyptians retreated, the Lord swept them into the sea.
28 The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.
The water poured back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the whole of Pharaoh's army that had chased after the Israelites into the sea. Not a single one of them survived.
29 But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water to their right and left.
30 That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.
The Lord saved the Israelites from the threat of the Egyptians—the Israelites saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.
31 When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.
When the Israelites saw the great power that the Lord had used against the Egyptians, they were in awe of the Lord, and they trusted in him and in his servant Moses.
