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Exodus 15
Contemporary English Version
Exodus 15
Contemporary English Version
The Song of Moses
15 (A)(B) (C) Moses and the Israelites sang this song in praise of the Lord:
I sing praises to the Lord
for his great victory!
He has thrown the horses
and their riders
into the sea.
2 (D) The Lord is my strength,
the reason for my song,
because he has saved me.
I praise and honor the Lord—
he is my God and the God
of my ancestors.
3 The Lord is his name,
and he is a warrior!
4 He threw the chariots and army
of Egypt's king[a]
into the Red Sea,[b]
and he drowned the best
of the king's officers.
5 They sank to the bottom
just like stones.
6 With the tremendous force
of your right arm, our Lord,
you crushed your enemies.
7 What a great victory was yours,
when you defeated everyone
who opposed you.
Your fiery anger wiped them out,
as though they were straw.
8 You were so furious
that the sea piled up
like a wall,
and the ocean depths
curdled like cheese.
9 Your enemies boasted
that they would
pursue and capture us,
divide up our possessions,
treat us as they wished,
then take out their swords
and kill us right there.
10 But when you got furious,
they sank like lead,
swallowed by ocean waves.
11 Our Lord, no other gods
compare with you—
Majestic and holy!
Fearsome and glorious!
Miracle worker!
12 When you signaled
with your right hand,
your enemies were swallowed
deep into the earth.
13 The people you rescued
were led by your powerful love
to your holy place.
14 Nations learned of this
and trembled—
Philistines shook with horror.
15 The leaders of Edom and of Moab
were terrified.
Everyone in Canaan fainted,
16 struck down by fear.
Our Lord, your powerful arm
kept them still as a rock
until the people you rescued
to be your very own
had marched by.
17 You will let your people settle
on your own mountain,
where you chose to live
and to be worshiped.
18 Our Lord, you will rule forever!
The Song of Miriam
19 The Lord covered the royal Egyptian cavalry and chariots with the sea, after the Israelites had walked safely through on dry ground. 20 Miriam the sister of Aaron was a prophet. So she took her tambourine and led the other women out to play their tambourines and to dance. 21 Then she sang to them:
“Sing praises to the Lord
for his great victory!
He has thrown the horses
and their riders into the sea.”
Bitter Water at Marah
22 After the Israelites left the Red Sea,[c] Moses led them through the Shur Desert for three days, before finding water. 23 They did find water at Marah, but it was bitter, which is how that place got its name.[d] 24 The people complained and said, “Moses, what are we going to drink?”
25 (E) Moses asked the Lord for help, and the Lord told him to throw a certain piece of wood into the water. Moses did so, and the water became fit to drink.
At Marah the Lord tested his people and also gave them some laws and teachings. 26 Then he said, “I am the Lord your God, and I cure your diseases. If you obey me by doing right and by following my laws and teachings, I won't punish you with the diseases I sent on the Egyptians.”
27 Later the Israelites came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and 70 palm trees. So they camped there.
Exodus 15
Lexham English Bible
Exodus 15
Lexham English Bible
Song of Victory at the Sea
15 Then Moses and the Israelites[a] sang this song to Yahweh, and they said,[b]
“Let me sing to Yahweh because he is highly exalted;
the horse and its rider he hurled into the sea.
2 Yah[c] is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation;[d]
this is my God, and I will praise him—the God of my father—and I will exalt him.
3 Yahweh is a man of war; Yahweh is his name.
4 The chariots of Pharaoh and his army he cast into the sea,
and his choice adjutants were sunk in the Red Sea.[e]
5 The deep waters covered them;
they went down into the depths like a stone.
6 Yahweh, your right hand is glorious in power;
Yahweh, your right hand destroyed the enemy.
7 And in the greatness of your majesty you overthrew those standing up to you;
you released your fierce anger, and it consumed them like stubble.
8 And by the breath of your nostrils waters were piled up;
waves stood like a heap;
deep waters in the middle of the sea congealed.
9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide plunder,
my desire will be full of them, I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.’
10 You blew with your breath; the sea covered them;
they dropped like lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who is like you among the gods, Yahweh?
Who is like you—glorious in holiness, awesome in praiseworthy actions, doing wonders?[f]
12 You stretched out your right hand;
the earth swallowed them.
13 In your loyal love you led the people whom you redeemed;
in your strength you guided them to the abode of your holiness.[g]
14 Peoples heard; they trembled;
anguish seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom were horrified; great distress seized the leaders of Moab;
all of the inhabitants of Canaan melted away.
16 Terror and dread fell on them;
at the greatness of your arm they became silent like the stone,
until your people passed by, Yahweh,
until the people whom you bought passed by.
17 You brought them and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance,
a place you made for yourself to inhabit, Yahweh,
a sanctuary, Lord, that your hands established.
18 Yahweh will reign as king forever and ever.”
19 When the horses[h] of Pharaoh came into the sea with his chariots[i] and with his charioteers, Yahweh brought back upon them the waters of the sea, and the Israelites[j] traveled on dry ground through the middle of the sea. 20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took her[k] tambourine in her hand, and all of the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered,[l] “Sing to Yahweh because he is highly exalted; the horse and its rider he hurled into the sea.”
Yahweh Provides Water at Marah
22 And Moses caused Israel to set out from the Red Sea,[m] and they went out into the desert of Shur, and they traveled three days in the desert, and they did not find water. 23 And they came to Marah, and they were not able to drink water from Marah because it was bitter. Therefore it was named[n] Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh showed him a piece of wood, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There he made a rule and regulation for them, and there he tested them. 26 And he said, “If you carefully listen to the voice of Yahweh your God and you do what is right in his eyes and give heed to his commands and you keep all his rules, then I will not bring about on you any of the diseases[o] that I brought about on Egypt, because I am Yahweh your healer.
27 And they came to Elim, and twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees were there, and they encamped there at the water.
Footnotes
- Exodus 15:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 15:1 Literally “and they said, saying”
- Exodus 15:2 a shortened form of “Yahweh”
- Exodus 15:2 Literally “he was for me for salvation”
- Exodus 15:4 Literally “sea of reed”
- Exodus 15:11 Hebrew “wonder”
- Exodus 15:13 Or “your holy dwelling”
- Exodus 15:19 Hebrew “horse”
- Exodus 15:19 Hebrew “chariot”
- Exodus 15:19 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 15:20 Literally “the tambourine”
- Exodus 15:21 Literally “answered to them”
- Exodus 15:22 Literally “sea of reed”
- Exodus 15:23 Literally “its name was called”; the Hebrew word for “bitter” is pronounced “marah”
- Exodus 15:26 Hebrew “disease”
Exodus 15
New International Version
Exodus 15
New International Version
The Song of Moses and Miriam
15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song(A) to the Lord:
“I will sing(B) to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(C)
he has hurled into the sea.(D)
2 “The Lord is my strength(E) and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.(F)
He is my God,(G) and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt(H) him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;(I)
the Lord is his name.(J)
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army(K)
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.[b]
5 The deep waters(L) have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.(M)
6 Your right hand,(N) Lord,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand,(O) Lord,
shattered(P) the enemy.
7 “In the greatness of your majesty(Q)
you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;(R)
it consumed(S) them like stubble.
8 By the blast of your nostrils(T)
the waters piled up.(U)
The surging waters stood up like a wall;(V)
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.(W)
9 The enemy boasted,
‘I will pursue,(X) I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;(Y)
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.’
10 But you blew with your breath,(Z)
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.(AA)
11 Who among the gods
is like you,(AB) Lord?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,(AC)
awesome in glory,(AD)
working wonders?(AE)
12 “You stretch out(AF) your right hand,
and the earth swallows your enemies.(AG)
13 In your unfailing love you will lead(AH)
the people you have redeemed.(AI)
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.(AJ)
14 The nations will hear and tremble;(AK)
anguish(AL) will grip the people of Philistia.(AM)
15 The chiefs(AN) of Edom(AO) will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,(AP)
the people[c] of Canaan will melt(AQ) away;
16 terror(AR) and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stone(AS)—
until your people pass by, Lord,
until the people you bought[d](AT) pass by.(AU)
17 You will bring(AV) them in and plant(AW) them
on the mountain(AX) of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,(AY)
the sanctuary,(AZ) Lord, your hands established.
18 “The Lord reigns
for ever and ever.”(BA)
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[e] went into the sea,(BB) the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.(BC) 20 Then Miriam(BD) the prophet,(BE) Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels(BF) and dancing.(BG) 21 Miriam sang(BH) to them:
“Sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(BI)
he has hurled into the sea.”(BJ)
The Waters of Marah and Elim
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert(BK) of Shur.(BL) For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.(BM) 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.[f](BN)) 24 So the people grumbled(BO) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”(BP)
25 Then Moses cried out(BQ) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw(BR) 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.(BS) 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(BT) all his decrees,(BU) I will not bring on you any of the diseases(BV) I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals(BW) you.”
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped(BX) there near the water.
Footnotes
- 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.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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Lexham English Bible (LEB)
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.