²¹ During the day the Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and during the night he went in front of them in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel night and day. ^22 (A)The pillar of cloud was always in front of the people during the day, and the pillar of fire at night.

Crossing the Red Sea

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the Red Sea, near Baal Zephon. ³ The king will think that the Israelites are wandering around in the country and are closed in by the desert. ⁴ I will make him stubborn, and he will pursue you, and my victory over the king and his army will bring me honor. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” The Israelites did as they were told.

⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped, he and his officials changed their minds and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites escape, and we have lost them as our slaves!” ⁶ The king got his war chariot and his army ready. ⁷ He set out with all his chariots, including the six hundred finest, commanded by their officers. ⁸ The Lord made the king stubborn, and he pursued the Israelites, who were leaving triumphantly.^{[a] 9} The Egyptian army, with all the horses, chariots, and drivers, pursued them and caught up with them where they were camped by the Red Sea near Pi Hahiroth and Baal Zephon.

¹⁰ When the Israelites saw the king and his army marching against them, they were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. ¹¹ They said to Moses, “Weren't there any graves in Egypt? Did you have to bring us out here in the desert to die? Look what you have done by bringing us out of Egypt! ¹² Didn't we tell you before we left that this would happen? We told you to leave us alone and let us go on being slaves of the Egyptians. It would be better to be slaves there than to die here in the desert.”

¹³ Moses answered, “Don't be afraid! Stand your ground, and you will see what the Lord will do to save you today; you will never see these Egyptians again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you, and all you have to do is keep still.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out for help? Tell the people to move forward. ¹⁶ Lift up your walking stick and hold it out over the sea. The water will divide, and the Israelites will be able to walk through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go in after them, and I will gain honor by my victory over the king, his army, his chariots, and his drivers. ¹⁸ When I defeat them, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

¹⁹ The angel of God, who had been in front of the army of Israel, moved and went to the rear. The pillar of cloud also moved until it was ²⁰ between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud made it dark for the Egyptians, but gave light to the people of Israel,^[b] and so the armies could not come near each other all night.

²¹ Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind. It blew all night and turned the sea into dry land. The water was divided, ^22 (B)and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on both sides. ²³ The Egyptians pursued them and went after them into the sea with all their horses, chariots, and drivers. ²⁴ Just before dawn the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic.

²¹ During the day the Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and during the night he went in front of them in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel night and day. ^22 (A)The pillar of cloud was always in front of the people during the day, and the pillar of fire at night.

Crossing the Red Sea

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the Red Sea, near Baal Zephon. ³ The king will think that the Israelites are wandering around in the country and are closed in by the desert. ⁴ I will make him stubborn, and he will pursue you, and my victory over the king and his army will bring me honor. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” The Israelites did as they were told.

⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped, he and his officials changed their minds and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites escape, and we have lost them as our slaves!” ⁶ The king got his war chariot and his army ready. ⁷ He set out with all his chariots, including the six hundred finest, commanded by their officers. ⁸ The Lord made the king stubborn, and he pursued the Israelites, who were leaving triumphantly.^{[a] 9} The Egyptian army, with all the horses, chariots, and drivers, pursued them and caught up with them where they were camped by the Red Sea near Pi Hahiroth and Baal Zephon.

¹⁰ When the Israelites saw the king and his army marching against them, they were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. ¹¹ They said to Moses, “Weren't there any graves in Egypt? Did you have to bring us out here in the desert to die? Look what you have done by bringing us out of Egypt! ¹² Didn't we tell you before we left that this would happen? We told you to leave us alone and let us go on being slaves of the Egyptians. It would be better to be slaves there than to die here in the desert.”

¹³ Moses answered, “Don't be afraid! Stand your ground, and you will see what the Lord will do to save you today; you will never see these Egyptians again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you, and all you have to do is keep still.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out for help? Tell the people to move forward. ¹⁶ Lift up your walking stick and hold it out over the sea. The water will divide, and the Israelites will be able to walk through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go in after them, and I will gain honor by my victory over the king, his army, his chariots, and his drivers. ¹⁸ When I defeat them, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

¹⁹ The angel of God, who had been in front of the army of Israel, moved and went to the rear. The pillar of cloud also moved until it was ²⁰ between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud made it dark for the Egyptians, but gave light to the people of Israel,^[b] and so the armies could not come near each other all night.

²¹ Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind. It blew all night and turned the sea into dry land. The water was divided, ^22 (B)and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on both sides. ²³ The Egyptians pursued them and went after them into the sea with all their horses, chariots, and drivers. ²⁴ Just before dawn the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic.

²¹ During the day the Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and during the night he went in front of them in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel night and day. ^22 (A)The pillar of cloud was always in front of the people during the day, and the pillar of fire at night.

Crossing the Red Sea

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the Red Sea, near Baal Zephon. ³ The king will think that the Israelites are wandering around in the country and are closed in by the desert. ⁴ I will make him stubborn, and he will pursue you, and my victory over the king and his army will bring me honor. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” The Israelites did as they were told.

⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped, he and his officials changed their minds and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites escape, and we have lost them as our slaves!” ⁶ The king got his war chariot and his army ready. ⁷ He set out with all his chariots, including the six hundred finest, commanded by their officers. ⁸ The Lord made the king stubborn, and he pursued the Israelites, who were leaving triumphantly.^{[a] 9} The Egyptian army, with all the horses, chariots, and drivers, pursued them and caught up with them where they were camped by the Red Sea near Pi Hahiroth and Baal Zephon.

¹⁰ When the Israelites saw the king and his army marching against them, they were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. ¹¹ They said to Moses, “Weren't there any graves in Egypt? Did you have to bring us out here in the desert to die? Look what you have done by bringing us out of Egypt! ¹² Didn't we tell you before we left that this would happen? We told you to leave us alone and let us go on being slaves of the Egyptians. It would be better to be slaves there than to die here in the desert.”

¹³ Moses answered, “Don't be afraid! Stand your ground, and you will see what the Lord will do to save you today; you will never see these Egyptians again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you, and all you have to do is keep still.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out for help? Tell the people to move forward. ¹⁶ Lift up your walking stick and hold it out over the sea. The water will divide, and the Israelites will be able to walk through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go in after them, and I will gain honor by my victory over the king, his army, his chariots, and his drivers. ¹⁸ When I defeat them, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

¹⁹ The angel of God, who had been in front of the army of Israel, moved and went to the rear. The pillar of cloud also moved until it was ²⁰ between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud made it dark for the Egyptians, but gave light to the people of Israel,^[b] and so the armies could not come near each other all night.

²¹ Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind. It blew all night and turned the sea into dry land. The water was divided, ^22 (B)and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on both sides. ²³ The Egyptians pursued them and went after them into the sea with all their horses, chariots, and drivers. ²⁴ Just before dawn the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. ²⁵ He made the wheels of their chariots get stuck, so that they moved with great difficulty. The Egyptians said, “The Lord is fighting for the Israelites against us. Let's get out of here!”

³³ even though he always went ahead of you to find a place for you to camp. To show you the way, he went in front of you in a pillar of fire by night and in a pillar of cloud by day.

³³ even though he always went ahead of you to find a place for you to camp. To show you the way, he went in front of you in a pillar of fire by night and in a pillar of cloud by day.

¹⁴ they will tell it to the people who live in this land. These people have already heard that you, Lord, are with us, that you appear in plain sight when your cloud stops over us, and that you go before us in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

¹⁴ they will tell it to the people who live in this land. These people have already heard that you, Lord, are with us, that you appear in plain sight when your cloud stops over us, and that you go before us in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

¹⁴ they will tell it to the people who live in this land. These people have already heard that you, Lord, are with us, that you appear in plain sight when your cloud stops over us, and that you go before us in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. ¹⁵ Now if you kill all your people, the nations who have heard of your fame will say ¹⁶ that you killed your people in the wilderness because you were not able to bring them into the land you promised to give them.

^16-17 The dazzling light of the Lord's presence came down on the mountain. To the Israelites the light looked like a fire burning on top of the mountain. The cloud covered the mountain for six days, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from the cloud.