Exodus 14
1 The Lord told Moses,
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 “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.
“Speak to the sons of Israel. Let them turn back and encamp away from the region of Pihahiroth, which is between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal-zephon. In its sight you shall place your camp, above the sea.
3 Pharaoh will conclude about the Israelites: ‘They're wandering about the country in confusion—the desert has blocked them from leaving.’
And Pharaoh will say about the sons of Israel, ‘They have been confined by the land; the desert has enclosed them.’
4 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.
And I will harden his heart, and so he will pursue you. And I will be glorified in Pharaoh, and in all his army. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
5 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!”
And it was reported to the king of the Egyptians that the people had fled. And the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed about the people, and they said, “What did we intend to do, so that we released Israel from serving us?”
6 So Pharaoh had his chariot made ready and set out with his army.
Therefore, he harnessed his chariot, and he took all his people with him.
7 He took 600 of his best chariots along with all the other chariots of Egypt, each with their officer-in-charge.
And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and whatever chariots were in Egypt, and also the leaders of the whole army.
8 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.
And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the sons of Israel. But they were taken away by an exalted hand.
9 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.
And when the Egyptians followed the footsteps of those who preceded them, they found them in a camp above the sea. All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and the entire army, were in Pihahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon.
10 The Israelites looked back and saw Pharaoh and the Egyptian army approaching. They were absolutely terrified and cried out to the Lord for help.
And when Pharaoh had drawn near, the sons of Israel, lifting up their eyes, saw the Egyptians behind them. And they were very afraid. And they cried out to the Lord.
11 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?
And they said to Moses: “Perhaps there were no graves in Egypt, for which reason you took us to die in the wilderness. What is it that you intended to do, in leading us out of Egypt?
12 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!”
Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying: Withdraw from us, so that we may serve the Egyptians? For it was much better to serve them, than to die in the wilderness.”
13 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!
And Moses said to the people: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the great wonders of the Lord, which he will do today. For the Egyptians, whom you now see, will never again be seen, forever.
14 The Lord is going to fight for you—you don't need to do anything.”
The Lord will fight on your behalf, and you will remain silent.”
15 The Lord told Moses, “Why are you crying out to me for help? Tell the Israelites to move forward.
And the Lord said to Moses: “Why cry out to me? Tell the sons of Israel to continue on.
16 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.
Now, lift up your staff, and extend your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the sons of Israel may walk through the midst of the sea on dry ground.
17 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.
Then I will harden the heart of the Egyptians, so as to pursue you. And I will be glorified in Pharaoh, and in all his army, and in his chariots, and in his horsemen.
18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain respect through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I will be glorified in Pharaoh, and in his chariots, as well as in his horsemen.”
19 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,
And the Angel of God, who preceded the camp of Israel, lifting himself up, went behind them. And the pillar of cloud, together with him, left the front for the rear
20 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.
and stood between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. And it was a dark cloud, yet it illuminated the night, so that they could not succeed at approaching one another at any time all that night.
21 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,
And when Moses had extended his hand over the sea, the Lord took it away by an intense burning wind, blowing throughout the night, and he turned it into dry ground. And the water was divided.
22 and the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water to their right and left.
And the sons of Israel went in through the midst of the dried sea. For the water was like a wall at their right hand and at their left hand.
23 The Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen. They followed the Israelites into the sea.
And the Egyptians, pursuing them, went in after them, along with all of the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots and horsemen, through the midst of the sea.
24 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.
And now the morning watch had arrived, and behold, the Lord, looking down upon the camp of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud, put to death their army.
25 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!”
And he overturned the wheels of the chariots, and they were carried into the deep. Therefore, the Egyptians said: “Let us flee from Israel. For the Lord fights on their behalf against us.”
26 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.”
And the Lord said to Moses: “Extend your hand over the sea, so that the waters may return on the Egyptians, over their chariots and horsemen.”
27 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.
And when Moses had extended his hand opposite the sea, it was returned, at first light, to its former place. And the fleeing Egyptians met with the waters, and the Lord immersed them in the midst of the waves.
28 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.
And the waters were returned, and they covered the chariots and horsemen of the entire army of Pharaoh, who, in following, had entered into the sea. And not so much as one of them was left alive.
29 But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water to their right and left.
But the sons of Israel continued directly through the midst of the dried sea, and the waters were to them like a wall on the right and on the left.
30 The Lord saved the Israelites from the threat of the Egyptians—the Israelites saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.
And so the Lord freed Israel on that day from the hand of the Egyptians.
31 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.
And they saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea and the great hand that the Lord had exercised against them. And the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in Moses his servant.
