Parashah 16: B’shallach (After he had let go) 13:17–17:16

¹⁷ After Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not guide them to the highway that goes through the land of the P’lishtim, because it was close by — God thought that the people, upon seeing war, might change their minds and return to Egypt. ¹⁸ Rather, God led the people by a roundabout route, through the desert by the Sea of Suf. The people of Isra’el went up from the land of Egypt fully armed.

¹⁹ Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him, for Yosef had made the people of Isra’el swear an oath when he said, “God will certainly remember you; and you are to carry my bones up with you, away from here.”

²⁰ They traveled from Sukkot and set up camp in Etam, at the edge of the desert. ²¹ Adonai went ahead of them in a column of cloud during the daytime to lead them on their way, and at night in a column of fire to give them light; thus they could travel both by day and by night. ²² Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire at night went away from in front of the people.