14 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol^(A) and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.^{(B) 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,^(C) and he will pursue them.^(D) But I will gain glory^(E) for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”^(F) So the Israelites did this.

⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,^(G) Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds^(H) 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,^(I) along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. ⁸ The Lord hardened the heart^(J) of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.^{(K) 9} The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses^(L) and chariots, horsemen^[a] and troops^(M)—pursued the Israelites and overtook^(N) them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.^(O)

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

¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.^(S) Stand firm and you will see^(T) the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see^(U) again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight^(V) for you; you need only to be still.”^(W)

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

¹⁹ Then the angel of God,^(AD) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud^(AE) also moved from in front and stood behind^(AF) them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness^(AG) 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^(AH) over the sea,^(AI) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind^(AJ) and turned it into dry land.^(AK) The waters were divided,^{(AL) 22} and the Israelites went through the sea^(AM) on dry ground,^(AN) with a wall^(AO) of water on their right and on their left.

²³ The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen^(AP) followed them into the sea. ²⁴ During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud^(AQ) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.^{(AR) 25} He jammed^[b] 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^(AS) for them against Egypt.”^(AT)

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

²⁹ But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,^(AY) with a wall^(AZ) of water on their right and on their left. ³⁰ That day the Lord saved^(BA) 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^(BB) of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared^(BC) the Lord and put their trust^(BD) in him and in Moses his servant.

³¹ What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

³² David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart^(A) on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

³³ Saul replied,^(B) “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion^(C) or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized^(D) it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion^(E) and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The Lord who rescued^(F) me from the paw of the lion^(G) and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with^(H) you.”

³⁸ Then Saul dressed David in his own^(I) tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. ³⁹ David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. ⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

⁴¹ Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer^(J) in front of him, kept coming closer to David. ⁴² He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome,^(K) and he despised^(L) him. ⁴³ He said to David, “Am I a dog,^(M) that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds^(N) and the wild animals!^(O)”

⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin,^(P) but I come against you in the name^(Q) of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.^{(R) 46} This day the Lord will deliver^(S) you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses^(T) of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world^(U) will know that there is a God in Israel.^{(V) 47} All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword^(W) or spear that the Lord saves;^(X) for the battle^(Y) is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

⁴⁸ As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling^(Z) and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

⁵¹ David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut^(AA) off his head with the sword.^(AB)

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. ⁵² Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath^[a] and to the gates of Ekron.^(AC) Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim^(AD) road to Gath and Ekron. ⁵³ When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

⁵⁴ David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.

⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering,^(A) and the time for my departure is near.^{(B) 7} I have fought the good fight,^(C) I have finished the race,^(D) I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me^(E) the crown of righteousness,^(F) which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day^(G)—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.^(H)