Exodus 14
1 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and they turn back and encamp before Pi-Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Ba‘al-Zephon; you encamp in front of it by the sea,
“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 and Pharaoh has said of the sons of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut on them;
Pharaoh will conclude about the Israelites: ‘They're wandering about the country in confusion—the desert has blocked them from leaving.’
4 and I have strengthened the heart of Pharaoh, and he has pursued after them, and I am honored by Pharaoh, and by all his force, and the Egyptians have known that I [am] YHWH”; and they do so.
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 And it is declared to the king of Egypt that the people have fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants is turned against the people, and they say, “What [is] this we have done, that we have sent Israel away from our service?”
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 And he harnesses his chariot, and he has taken his people with him,
So Pharaoh had his chariot made ready and set out with his army.
7 and he takes six hundred chosen chariots, even all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over them all;
He took 600 of his best chariots along with all the other chariots of Egypt, each with their officer-in-charge.
8 and YHWH strengthens the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursues after the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel are going out with a high hand,
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 and the Egyptians pursue after them, and all the chariot horses of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his force, overtake them, encamping by the sea, by Pi-Hahiroth, before Ba‘al-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 And Pharaoh has drawn near, and the sons of Israel lift up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians are journeying after them, and they fear exceedingly, and the sons of Israel cry to YHWH.
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 And they say to Moses, “Because there are no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in a wilderness? What is this you have done to us—to bring us out from 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 Is this not the word which we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, Cease from us, and we serve the Egyptians; for [it is] better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in a 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 And Moses says to the people, “Do not fear, station yourselves, and see the salvation of YHWH, which He does for you today; for as you have seen the Egyptians today, you add no more to see them for all time;
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 YHWH fights for you, and you keep silent.”
The Lord is going to fight for you—you don't need to do anything.”
15 And YHWH says to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Speak to the sons of Israel, and they journey;
The Lord told Moses, “Why are you crying out to me for help? Tell the Israelites to move forward.
16 and you, lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand toward the sea, and cleave it, and the sons of Israel go into the midst of the sea on dry land.
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—behold, I am strengthening the heart of the Egyptians, and they go in after them, and I am honored by Pharaoh, and by all his force, by his chariots, and by his 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 and the Egyptians have known that I [am] YHWH, in My being honored by Pharaoh, by his chariots, and by 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 Messenger of God, who is going before the camp of Israel, journeys and goes at their rear; and the pillar of the cloud journeys from their front, and stands at their rear,
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 and comes in between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel, and the cloud and the darkness are, and he enlightens the night, and the one has not drawn near to the other all the night.
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 And Moses stretches out his hand toward the sea, and YHWH causes the sea to go on by a strong east wind all the night, and makes the sea become dry ground, and the waters are cleaved,
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 sons of Israel go into the midst of the sea on dry land, and the waters [are] a wall to them, 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 pursue, and go in after them (all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen) into the midst of the sea,
The Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen. They followed the Israelites into the sea.
24 and it comes to pass, in the morning watch, that YHWH looks to the camp of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubles the camp of the Egyptians,
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 and turns aside the wheels of their chariots, and they lead them with difficulty, and the Egyptians say, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for YHWH is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”
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 And YHWH says to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sea, and the waters turn back on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their 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 And Moses stretches out his hand toward the sea, and the sea turns back, at the turning of the morning, to its perennial flow, and the Egyptians are fleeing at its coming, and YHWH shakes off the Egyptians in the midst of 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 and the waters turn back, and cover the chariots and the horsemen, even all the force of Pharaoh, who are coming in after them into the sea—there has not been left even one of them.
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 And the sons of Israel have gone on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters [are] a wall to them, 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 and YHWH saves Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians in that day, and Israel sees the Egyptians dead on the seashore,
The Lord saved the Israelites from the threat of the Egyptians—the Israelites saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.
31 and Israel sees the great hand with which YHWH has worked against the Egyptians, and the people fear YHWH, and remain steadfast in YHWH, 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.
