Exodus 14
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
The Lord told Moses,
2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal Zephon. You shall camp opposite 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 Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are wandering in the land. 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, and he will pursue them. And I will gain glory because of Pharaoh and because of all his army, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD." And they did 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 when the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against 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 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 Then he made ready his chariot, and took his army with him;
So Pharaoh had his chariot made ready and set out with his army.
7 and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and 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, and he pursued after the children of Israel; and the children of Israel were going out triumphantly.
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 pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before 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 When Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and look, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they were very afraid. So the children of Israel 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 And they said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? 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 Isn't this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, '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 said to the people, "Do not be afraid, stand still, and see the salvation of God, which he will work for you today, for the Egyptians you see today, you will never, ever 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, and you must 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 children of Israel 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, and the children of Israel will go through the midst of 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 as for me, look, I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots and 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 Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I receive glory over 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 was going in front of the camp of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of 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 it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness and it lit up the night so that the one did not come near the other all 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 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD pushed the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea 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 Then the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were 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 pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all of Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
The Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen. They followed the Israelites into the sea.
24 And it happened, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down on the Egyptian camp through the pillar of fire and cloud and threw the 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 And he bound their chariot wheels so that they drove them with difficulty. And the Egyptians said, "Let's flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the 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 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 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak. Now the Egyptians were trying to escape from it, but the LORD shook 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 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea. None 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 children of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand 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 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw 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 When Israel saw the great power which the LORD used against the Egyptians, then the people feared the LORD, and they believed God and 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.
