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.”^{(A) 18} So God led^(B) the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.^[a] The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.^(C)

¹⁹ Moses took the bones of Joseph^(D) 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](E)

²⁰ After leaving Sukkoth^(F) they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.^{(G) 21} By day the Lord went ahead^(H) of them in a pillar of cloud^(I) 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^(J) 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^(K) and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.^{(L) 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,^(M) and he will pursue them.^(N) But I will gain glory^(O) for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”^(P) So the Israelites did this.

⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,^(Q) Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds^(R) 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,^(S) along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. ⁸ The Lord hardened the heart^(T) of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.^{(U) 9} The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses^(V) and chariots, horsemen^[c] and troops^(W)—pursued the Israelites and overtook^(X) them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.^(Y)

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried^(Z) 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?^(AA) 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!”^(AB)

¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.^(AC) Stand firm and you will see^(AD) the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see^(AE) again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight^(AF) for you; you need only to be still.”^(AG)

The Healing at the Pool

5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. ² Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate^(A) a pool, which in Aramaic^(B) is called Bethesda^[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. ³ Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. ^{[4] [b] 5} One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

⁷ “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

⁸ Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”^{(C) 9} At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,^{(D) 10} and so the Jewish leaders^(E) said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”^(F)

¹¹ But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

¹² So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

¹³ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

¹⁴ Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning^(G) or something worse may happen to you.” ¹⁵ The man went away and told the Jewish leaders^(H) that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Authority of the Son

¹⁶ So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. ¹⁷ In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father^(I) is always at his work^(J) to this very day, and I too am working.” ¹⁸ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him;^(K) not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.^(L)

¹⁹ Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself;^(M) he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son^(N) and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these,^(O) so that you will be amazed. ²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,^(P) even so the Son gives life^(Q) to whom he is pleased to give it. ²² Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,^{(R) 23} that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.^(S)

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?^(A) Tell the Israelites to move on. ¹⁶ Raise your staff^(B) and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water^(C) so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will harden the hearts^(D) of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.^(E) 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^(F) when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

¹⁹ Then the angel of God,^(G) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud^(H) also moved from in front and stood behind^(I) them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness^(J) 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^(K) over the sea,^(L) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind^(M) and turned it into dry land.^(N) The waters were divided,^{(O) 22} and the Israelites went through the sea^(P) on dry ground,^(Q) with a wall^(R) of water on their right and on their left.

²³ The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen^(S) followed them into the sea. ²⁴ During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud^(T) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.^{(U) 25} He jammed^[a] 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^(V) for them against Egypt.”^(W)

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.^(X) The Egyptians were fleeing toward^[b] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.^{(Y) 28} The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.^(Z) Not one of them survived.^(AA)

²⁹ But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,^(AB) with a wall^(AC) of water on their right and on their left. ³⁰ That day the Lord saved^(AD) 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^(AE) of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared^(AF) the Lord and put their trust^(AG) in him and in Moses his servant.

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

4 As a prisoner^(A) for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy^(B) of the calling^(C) you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another^(D) in love.^{(E) 3} Make every effort to keep the unity^(F) of the Spirit through the bond of peace.^{(G) 4} There is one body^(H) and one Spirit,^(I) just as you were called to one hope when you were called^(J); ⁵ one Lord,^(K) one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all,^(L) who is over all and through all and in all.^(M)

⁷ But to each one of us^(N) grace^(O) has been given^(P) as Christ apportioned it. ⁸ This is why it^[a] says:

⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^[c]? ¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended^(S) higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)^{(T) 11} So Christ himself gave^(U) the apostles,^(V) the prophets,^(W) the evangelists,^(X) the pastors and teachers,^{(Y) 12} to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ^(Z) may be built up^{(AA) 13} until we all reach unity^(AB) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God^(AC) and become mature,^(AD) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.^(AE)

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants,^(AF) tossed back and forth by the waves,^(AG) and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.^{(AH) 15} Instead, speaking the truth in love,^(AI) we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,^(AJ) that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows^(AK) and builds itself up^(AL) in love,^(AM) as each part does its work.