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Exodus 13-15
The Message
Exodus 13-15
The Message
13 1-2 God spoke to Moses, saying, “Set apart every firstborn to me—the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine.”
3 Moses said to the people, “Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. God brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don’t eat any raised bread.
4-5 “You are leaving in the spring month of Abib. When God brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month:
6 “You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to God.
7 “Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented—no yeast anywhere.
8 “Tell your child on that day: ‘This is because of what God did for me when I came out of Egypt.’
9-10 “The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt. Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year.
11-13 “When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you, you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God. Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God. You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck.
13-16 “Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. When the time comes and your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you tell him, ‘God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That’s why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.’ The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand.”
17 It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn’t lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, “If the people encounter war, they’ll change their minds and go back to Egypt.”
18 So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation.
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do it, saying, “God will surely hold you accountable, so make sure you bring my bones from here with you.”
20-22 They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people.
The Story and Song of Salvation
14 1-2 God spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites to turn around and make camp at Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Camp on the shore of the sea opposite Baal Zephon.
3-4 “Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are lost; they’re confused. The wilderness has closed in on them.’ Then I’ll make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn again and he’ll chase after them. And I’ll use Pharaoh and his army to put my Glory on display. Then the Egyptians will realize that I am God.”
And that’s what happened.
5-7 When the king of Egypt was told that the people were gone, he and his servants changed their minds. They said, “What have we done, letting Israel, our slave labor, go free?” So he had his chariots harnessed up and got his army together. He took six hundred of his best chariots, with the rest of the Egyptian chariots and their drivers coming along.
8-9 God made Pharaoh king of Egypt stubborn, determined to chase the Israelites as they walked out on him without even looking back. The Egyptians gave chase and caught up with them where they had made camp by the sea—all Pharaoh’s horse-drawn chariots and their riders, all his foot soldiers there at Pi Hahiroth opposite Baal Zephon.
10-12 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them—Egyptians! Coming at them!
They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to God. They told Moses, “Weren’t the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn’t we tell you this would happen? Didn’t we tell you, ‘Leave us alone here in Egypt—we’re better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.’”
13 Moses spoke to the people: “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you’re never going to see them again.
14 God will fight the battle for you.
And you? You keep your mouths shut!”
* * *
15-16 God said to Moses: “Why cry out to me? Speak to the Israelites. Order them to get moving. Hold your staff high and stretch your hand out over the sea: Split the sea! The Israelites will walk through the sea on dry ground.
17-18 “Meanwhile I’ll make sure the Egyptians keep up their stubborn chase—I’ll use Pharaoh and his entire army, his chariots and horsemen, to put my Glory on display so that the Egyptians will realize that I am God.”
19-20 The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn’t come near each other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split.
22-25 The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. It was now the morning watch. God looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud.
The Egyptians said, “Run from Israel! God is fighting on their side and against Egypt!”
26 God said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen.”
27-28 Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. God dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh’s army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.
29-31 But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left. God delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea, and realized the tremendous power that God brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before God and trusted in God and his servant Moses.
* * *
15 1-8 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God, giving voice together,
I’m singing my heart out to God—what a victory!
He pitched horse and rider into the sea.
God is my strength, God is my song,
and, yes! God is my salvation.
This is the kind of God I have
and I’m telling the world!
This is the God of my father—
I’m spreading the news far and wide!
God is a fighter,
pure God, through and through.
Pharaoh’s chariots and army
he dumped in the sea,
The elite of his officers
he drowned in the Red Sea.
Wild ocean waters poured over them;
they sank like a rock in the deep blue sea.
Your strong right hand, God, shimmers with power;
your strong right hand shatters the enemy.
In your mighty majesty
you smash your upstart enemies,
You let loose your hot anger
and burn them to a crisp.
At a blast from your nostrils
the waters piled up;
Tumbling streams dammed up,
wild oceans curdled into a swamp.
9 The enemy spoke,
“I’ll pursue, I’ll hunt them down,
I’ll divide up the plunder,
I’ll glut myself on them;
I’ll pull out my sword,
my fist will send them reeling.”
10-11 You blew with all your might
and the sea covered them.
They sank like a lead weight
in the majestic waters.
Who compares with you
among gods, O God?
Who compares with you in power,
in holy majesty,
In awesome praises,
wonder-working God?
12-13 You stretched out your right hand
and the Earth swallowed them up.
But the people you redeemed,
you led in merciful love;
You guided them under your protection
to your holy pasture.
14-18 When people heard, they were scared;
Philistines writhed and trembled;
Yes, even the head men in Edom were shaken,
and the big bosses in Moab.
Everybody in Canaan
panicked and fell faint.
Dread and terror
sent them reeling.
Before your brandished right arm
they were struck dumb like a stone,
Until your people crossed over and entered, O God,
until the people you made crossed over and entered.
You brought them and planted them
on the mountain of your heritage,
The place where you live,
the place you made,
Your sanctuary, Master,
that you established with your own hands.
Let God rule
forever, for eternity!
19 Yes, Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and riders went into the sea and God turned the waters back on them; but the Israelites walked on dry land right through the middle of the sea.
* * *
20-21 Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing. Miriam led them in singing,
Sing to God—
what a victory!
He pitched horse and rider
into the sea!
Traveling Through the Wilderness
22-24 Moses led Israel from the Red Sea on to the Wilderness of Shur. They traveled for three days through the wilderness without finding any water. They got to Marah, but they couldn’t drink the water at Marah; it was bitter. That’s why they called the place Marah (Bitter). And the people complained to Moses, “So what are we supposed to drink?”
25 So Moses cried out in prayer to God. God pointed him to a stick of wood. Moses threw it into the water and the water turned sweet.
26 That’s the place where God set up rules and procedures; that’s where he started testing them.
God said, “If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won’t strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer.”
27 They came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They set up camp there by the water.
Exodus 13-15
New International Version
Exodus 13-15
New International Version
Consecration of the Firstborn
13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me every firstborn male.(A) The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,(B) out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand.(C) Eat nothing containing yeast.(D) 4 Today, in the month of Aviv,(E) you are leaving. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites,(F) Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites(G)—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey(H)—you are to observe this ceremony(I) in this month: 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival(J) to the Lord. 7 Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8 On that day tell your son,(K) ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand(L) and a reminder on your forehead(M) that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.(N) 10 You must keep this ordinance(O) at the appointed time(P) year after year.
11 “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites(Q) and gives it to you, as he promised on oath(R) to you and your ancestors,(S) 12 you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord.(T) 13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey,(U) but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.(V) Redeem(W) every firstborn among your sons.(X)
14 “In days to come, when your son(Y) asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.(Z) 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’(AA) 16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead(AB) that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”
Crossing the Sea
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”(AC) 18 So God led(AD) the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.[a] The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.(AE)
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph(AF) with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”[b](AG)
20 After leaving Sukkoth(AH) they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.(AI) 21 By day the Lord went ahead(AJ) of them in a pillar of cloud(AK) to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left(AL) its place in front of the people.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol(AM) and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.(AN) 3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,(AO) and he will pursue them.(AP) But I will gain glory(AQ) for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”(AR) So the Israelites did this.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,(AS) Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds(AT) about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots,(AU) along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart(AV) of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.(AW) 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses(AX) and chariots, horsemen[c] and troops(AY)—pursued the Israelites and overtook(AZ) them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.(BA)
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried(BB) out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?(BC) What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”(BD)
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.(BE) Stand firm and you will see(BF) the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see(BG) again. 14 The Lord will fight(BH) for you; you need only to be still.”(BI)
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?(BJ) Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff(BK) and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water(BL) so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts(BM) of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.(BN) And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(BO) when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
19 Then the angel of God,(BP) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud(BQ) also moved from in front and stood behind(BR) them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness(BS) to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand(BT) over the sea,(BU) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind(BV) and turned it into dry land.(BW) The waters were divided,(BX) 22 and the Israelites went through the sea(BY) on dry ground,(BZ) with a wall(CA) of water on their right and on their left.
23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen(CB) followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud(CC) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.(CD) 25 He jammed[d] the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting(CE) for them against Egypt.”(CF)
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.(CG) The Egyptians were fleeing toward[e] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.(CH) 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.(CI) Not one of them survived.(CJ)
29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,(CK) with a wall(CL) of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved(CM) Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand(CN) of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared(CO) the Lord and put their trust(CP) in him and in Moses his servant.
The Song of Moses and Miriam
15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song(CQ) to the Lord:
“I will sing(CR) to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(CS)
he has hurled into the sea.(CT)
2 “The Lord is my strength(CU) and my defense[f];
he has become my salvation.(CV)
He is my God,(CW) and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt(CX) him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;(CY)
the Lord is his name.(CZ)
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army(DA)
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.[g]
5 The deep waters(DB) have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.(DC)
6 Your right hand,(DD) Lord,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand,(DE) Lord,
shattered(DF) the enemy.
7 “In the greatness of your majesty(DG)
you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;(DH)
it consumed(DI) them like stubble.
8 By the blast of your nostrils(DJ)
the waters piled up.(DK)
The surging waters stood up like a wall;(DL)
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.(DM)
9 The enemy boasted,
‘I will pursue,(DN) I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;(DO)
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.’
10 But you blew with your breath,(DP)
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.(DQ)
11 Who among the gods
is like you,(DR) Lord?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,(DS)
awesome in glory,(DT)
working wonders?(DU)
12 “You stretch out(DV) your right hand,
and the earth swallows your enemies.(DW)
13 In your unfailing love you will lead(DX)
the people you have redeemed.(DY)
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.(DZ)
14 The nations will hear and tremble;(EA)
anguish(EB) will grip the people of Philistia.(EC)
15 The chiefs(ED) of Edom(EE) will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,(EF)
the people[h] of Canaan will melt(EG) away;
16 terror(EH) and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stone(EI)—
until your people pass by, Lord,
until the people you bought[i](EJ) pass by.(EK)
17 You will bring(EL) them in and plant(EM) them
on the mountain(EN) of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,(EO)
the sanctuary,(EP) Lord, your hands established.
18 “The Lord reigns
for ever and ever.”(EQ)
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[j] went into the sea,(ER) the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.(ES) 20 Then Miriam(ET) the prophet,(EU) Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels(EV) and dancing.(EW) 21 Miriam sang(EX) to them:
“Sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(EY)
he has hurled into the sea.”(EZ)
The Waters of Marah and Elim
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert(FA) of Shur.(FB) For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.(FC) 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.[k](FD)) 24 So the people grumbled(FE) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”(FF)
25 Then Moses cried out(FG) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw(FH) it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.
There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.(FI) 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep(FJ) all his decrees,(FK) I will not bring on you any of the diseases(FL) I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals(FM) you.”
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped(FN) there near the water.
Footnotes
- Exodus 13:18 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Exodus 13:19 See Gen. 50:25.
- Exodus 14:9 Or charioteers; also in verses 17, 18, 23, 26 and 28
- Exodus 14:25 See Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint and Syriac; Masoretic Text removed
- Exodus 14:27 Or from
- Exodus 15:2 Or song
- Exodus 15:4 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 22
- Exodus 15:15 Or rulers
- Exodus 15:16 Or created
- Exodus 15:19 Or charioteers
- Exodus 15:23 Marah means bitter.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
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