< Exodus 14 >

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 'Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon, over against it shall ye encamp by the sea.
“Say to the Israelites that they should turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal Zephon. You are to camp by the sea opposite Pi Hahiroth.
3 And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel: They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
Pharaoh will say about the Israelites, 'They are wandering in the land. The wilderness has closed in on them.'
4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get Me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.' And they did so.
I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. I will get honor because of Pharaoh and all his army. The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” So the Israelites camped as they were instructed.
5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people were fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned towards the people, and they said: 'What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?
When the king of Egypt was told that the Israelites had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his servants turned against the people. They said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”
6 And he made ready his chariots, and took his people with him.
Then Pharaoh got his chariots ready and took his army with him.
7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them.
He took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers on all of them.
8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel; for the children of Israel went out with a high hand.
Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and the king pursued the Israelites. Now the Israelites had gone away in triumph.
9 And the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
But the Egyptians pursued them, together with all his horses and chariots, his horsemen, and his army. They overtook the Israelites camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.
10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were sore afraid; and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
When Pharaoh came close, the Israelites looked up and were surprised. The Egyptians were marching after them, and they were terrified. The Israelites cried out to Yahweh.
11 And they said unto Moses: 'Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt?
They said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt, that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us like this, bringing us out of Egypt?
12 Is not this the word that we spoke unto thee in Egypt, saying: Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.'
Is this not what we told you in Egypt? We said to you, 'Leave us alone, so we can work for the Egyptians.' It would have been better for us to work for them than to die in the wilderness.”
13 And Moses said unto the people: 'Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you to-day; for whereas ye have seen the Egyptians to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the rescue that Yahweh will provide for you today. For you will never see again the Egyptians whom you see today.
14 The LORD will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.'
Yahweh will fight for you, and you will only have to stand still.”
15 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Why are you, Moses, continuing to call out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.
16 And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground.
Lift up your staff, reach out with your hand over the sea and divide it in two, so that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.
17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them; and I will get Me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
Be aware that I will harden the Egyptians' hearts so they will go after them. I will get honor because of Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.
18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten Me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.'
Then the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I have gotten honor because of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud removed from before them, and stood behind them;
The angel of God, who went before the Israelites, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from before them and went to stand behind them.
20 and it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud and the darkness here, yet gave it light by night there; and the one came not near the other all the night.
The cloud came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. It was a dark cloud to the Egyptians, but it lit the night for the Israelites, so one side did not come near the other all night.
21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Moses reached out with his hand over the sea. Yahweh drove the sea back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea into dry land. In this way the waters were divided.
22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
The Israelites went into the middle of the sea on dry ground. The waters formed a wall for them on their right hand and on their left.
23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
The Egyptians pursued them. They went after them into the middle of the sea—all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen.
24 And it came to pass in the morning watch, that the LORD looked forth upon the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians.
But in the early morning hours, Yahweh looked down on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and cloud. He caused panic among the Egyptians.
25 And He took off their chariot wheels, and made them to drive heavily; so that the Egyptians said: 'Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.'
Their chariot wheels were clogged, and the horsemen drove with difficulty. So the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for Yahweh is fighting for them against us.”
26 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Stretch out thy hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.'
Yahweh said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back onto the Egyptians, their chariots, and their horsemen.”
27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
So Moses reached out with his hand over the sea, and it returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. The Egyptians fled into the sea, and Yahweh drove the Egyptians into the middle of it.
28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even all the host of Pharaoh that went in after them into the sea; there remained not so much as one of them.
The waters came back and covered Pharaoh's chariots, horsemen, and his entire army that had followed the chariots into the sea. No one survived.
29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
However, the Israelites walked on dry land in the middle of the sea. The waters were a wall for them on their right hand and on their left.
30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore.
So Yahweh saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw dead Egyptians on the seashore.
31 And Israel saw the great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD; and they believed in the LORD, and in His servant Moses.
When Israel saw the great power that Yahweh used against the Egyptians, the people honored Yahweh, and they trusted in Yahweh and in his servant Moses.

< Exodus 14 >