Exodus 14
1 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying:
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,
2 Speak unto the sons 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.
“Tell the Israeli people to turn around and go back and set up their tents in front of Pi-Hahiroth [town]. That town is between Migdol and the sea, across from Baal-Zephon [town]. Set up your tents there, close to the sea.
3 Then will Pharaoh say, of the sons of Israel, Entangled, they are in the land, —the desert hath closed in upon them.
When the king [knows you have done that], he will think, ‘The Israeli people are confused. They are wandering around, and the desert blocks their path.’
4 So will I let the heart of Pharaoh wax bold, and he will pursue them, that I may get me honour over Pharaoh, and over all his forces, and the Egyptians shall know, that I, am Yahweh. And they did so.
But I will make the king stubborn [again], and he will [take his army and] pursue you. Then my people will praise/thank me for winning a victory over the king and his army. And the Egyptians will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].” So [Moses/I told my people that, and] they did what he/I told them to do.
5 And it was told the king of Egypt, that the people had fled, —and 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 someone told the king that the Israeli people had left [during the night], he and his officials changed their minds and said, “(What have we done?/What we have done was stupid!) [RHQ] The Israeli people will no longer be our slaves!”
6 So he yoked his chariot, —and his people, took he with him.
So the king got his chariot and his army ready.
7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, —with warriors in every one.
Then he selected 600 of the best chariots, and in each chariot he placed a driver, a soldier, and a commander, and they left. Other chariots, with a driver and a soldier in each of them, also went along.
8 And Yahweh let the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt wax bold, and he pursued the sons of Israel, —when the sons of Israel, were going out with a high hand.
Because Yahweh made the king of Egypt so stubborn that he and his army went to pursue the Israelis, who were leaving triumphantly,
9 So the Egyptians pursued them and overtook them, encamping by the sea—all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his forces, —by Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.
the Egyptian army, with all the king’s horses and chariots and horsemen, pursued the Israelis. They caught up with them as they were camped near the sea, close to Pi-Hahiroth, in front of Baal-Zephon [town].
10 Now when, Pharaoh, had drawn near, the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes, and lo! the Egyptians, moving along after them and they feared greatly, and the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh.
When the king’s army got near, the Israeli people were surprised to see that the Egyptians were marching toward them. They were terrified; so they cried out to Yahweh [to help them].
11 Then said they unto Moses, Was it because there were no graves in Egypt, that thou didst fetch us to die in the desert? What is this thou hast done to us, bringing us forth out of Egypt?
Then they said to Moses/me, “Is it because there were no places in Egypt [where we could] be buried that you have brought us here to die in this desert [RHQ]? Look what you have done to us by bringing us out of Egypt [RHQ]!
12 Is not this the word which we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians, —for it is better for us, to serve the Egyptians, than to die in the desert?
That is what we told you when we were in Egypt! We said, ‘Leave us alone, and let us work for the Egyptians [RHQ]!’ It would have been better for us to be slaves for the Egyptians than to die here in the desert!”
13 And Moses said unto the people—Do not fear, stand still and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you to-day, —for as for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall not again see them any more to times age-abiding.
Moses/I replied to the people, “Do not be afraid! Be brave, and see how Yahweh will rescue you! He will save you today, and the result will be that the Egyptians that you are looking at today—you will never see them again!
14 Yahweh, will fight for you, —and, ye, shall forbear.
Yahweh will fight for you! Just keep quiet. There is nothing else that you will have to do.”
15 And Yahweh said unto Moses, What outcry wouldst thou make unto me? Speak unto the sons of Israel, that they go forward;
Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Tell the people to stop crying out for me [to help them], and tell them to go forward. Lift up your stick and stretch it out toward the sea. The water will divide, so that all you Israeli people can go in the middle of the sea, walking on dry ground.
16 and, thou, lift high thy staff and stretch forth thy hand over the sea and cleave it asunder, —that the sons of Israel may enter into the midst of the sea on dry ground;
17 and, I, behold me letting the heart of the Egyptians wax bold, that they may enter after them, —that I may get me honour over Pharaoh and over his forces, over his chariots, and over his horsemen,
I will make the Egyptians stubborn, so that they will try to follow you. And then as a result of [what I will do to the] king and his army and his chariots and his horsemen, [my people] will praise/thank me.
18 And the Egyptians shall know, that, I, am Yahweh, —when I have gotten me honour over Pharaoh, over his chariots and over his horsemen.
And when I have won a glorious [victory] over the king and his chariots and his horsemen, the [other] Egyptians will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”
19 And the messenger of God who was going on before the camp of Israel removed, and came on behind them, —and the pillar of cloud removed from before them, and stood behind them;
Then the angel of God, who had been in front of the Israeli people, moved and went behind them. The tall bright cloud that had been in front of them also moved behind them,
20 so it came in between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel, so it became a cloud and darkness, and yet lighted up the night, —so that the one came not near unto the other, all the night.
until it was between the Egyptian army and the Israeli people. The cloud caused the Egyptian army to be in the dark but it gave light for the Israelis. As a result, neither group could come near the other group during the whole night.
21 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and Yahweh carried away the sea by a mighty east wind all the night, and turned the sea into dry land, —and the waters were cloven asunder.
[That evening], Moses/I stretched out his/my hand toward the sea. Then Yahweh sent a strong wind from the east. It blew all night and pushed the water apart, and it caused the ground between the water to dry up.
22 Then went the sons of Israel into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, —and, the waters, to them, were a wall, on their right hand and on their left.
Then we Israeli people went on the dry land in the middle of the sea. The water was like a wall on each side of us, on the right side and on the left side.
23 And the Egyptians pursued, and entered after them—all the horses of Pharaoh his chariots and his horsemen, —into the midst of the sea.
Then the Egyptian army pursued them, and went after them into the middle of the sea, with their horses and their chariots and the chariot-drivers.
24 And it came to pass in the morning watch, that Yahweh looked down into the camp of the Egyptians, through the pillar of fire and cloud, and confused the camp of the Egyptians;
Just before dawn, Yahweh looked down from the fiery cloud, and then he caused the Egyptian army to panic.
25 and he took off the wheels of their chariots, and made them drive heavily, —so that the Egyptians said—We must flee from the face of Israel, for Yahweh, is fighting for them against the Egyptians.
He caused the wheels of the chariots to get stuck [in the mud], so that they could hardly move. So the Egyptians said, “Yahweh is fighting for the Israelis and against us; let’s get out of here!”
26 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Stretch forth thy hand over the sea, —that the waters may return upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Stretch out your arm toward the sea again. Then the water will come back on the Egyptians and on their chariots and their horsemen.”
27 So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea and the sea returned, towards morning, to its steady flow, when the Egyptians, were fleeing to meet it, —thus Yahweh shook off the Egyptians into the midst of the sea;
So Moses/I stretched out his/my arm, and as the sun was rising, the water returned to its normal level. The Egyptians tried to escape, but Yahweh hurled them back into the sea.
28 thus the waters returned and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even all the forces of Pharaoh that were entering after them into the sea, —there was not left remaining among them so much as one.
The water returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and the whole Egyptian army that had tried to follow us Israelis into the sea. Every one of the Egyptians drowned.
29 But the sons of Israel, had gone their way on dry ground in the saidst of the sea, —and the waters had been to them a wall, on their right hand and on their left.
But we Israeli people had already crossed through the sea by walking on dry ground, with the water being [like two] walls, one on the right side and one on the left side.
30 Thus did Yahweh, on that day, save Israel, out of the hand of the Egyptians, —and Israel saw the Egyptians, dead on the shore of the sea.
That is the way Yahweh saved the Israeli people from the Egyptian army on that day. The Israeli people saw the Egyptians lying dead, [with their bodies washed up] on the shore.
31 And when Israel saw the mighty hand wherewith Yahweh had wrought against the Egyptians, then did the people revere Yahweh, —and they put their trust in Yahweh, and in Moses, his servant.
The Israelis saw what Yahweh did to the Egyptians by his great power [MTY], and they were in awe of Yahweh. They trusted in Yahweh and they also trusted Moses/me.
