Crossing the Red Sea

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to (A)turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between (B)Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ And (C)I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will (D)get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, (E)and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the (F)mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took (G)six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And (H)the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while (I)the people of Israel were going out defiantly. The (J)Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them (K)encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel (L)cried out to the Lord. 11 They (M)said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what (N)we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, (O)“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For (P)the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 (Q)The Lord will fight for you, and you have only (R)to be silent.”

15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 (S)Lift up your staff, and (T)stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And (U)I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and (V)I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians (W)shall know that I am the Lord, (X)when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 (Y)Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night[a] without one coming near the other all night.

21 Then Moses (Z)stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by (AA)a strong east wind all night and (AB)made the sea dry land, and the waters were (AC)divided. 22 And (AD)the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being (AE)a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging[b] their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the (AF)Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, (AG)“Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 (AH)So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea (AI)returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord (AJ)threw[c] the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The (AK)waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, (AL)not one of them remained. 29 But the (AM)people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 Thus the Lord (AN)saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 (AO)Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they (AP)believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 14:20 Septuagint and the night passed
  2. Exodus 14:25 Or binding (compare Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac); Hebrew removing
  3. Exodus 14:27 Hebrew shook off

14 Then Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

Speak unto the Bnei Yisroel, that they turn back and encamp before Pi-Hachirot, between Migdol and the yam, in front of Baal Zephon; opposite it shall ye encamp by the yam.

For Pharaoh will think of the Bnei Yisroel, They are entangled in the land [wandering in confusion], the midbar hath shut them in [from making their exodus].

And I will harden lev Pharaoh, that he shall pursue after them; and I will be glorified over Pharaoh, and upon all his army; so that the Egyptians may have da’as that I am Hashem. And they did accordingly.

And it was told the melech Mitzrayim that HaAm had fled; and the lev Pharaoh and of his avadim was turned against HaAm, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Yisroel go from slaving for us?

And he made ready his merkavah, and took his army with him;

And he took six hundred select chariots, and all the chariots of Mitzrayim, and commanders over every one of them.

And Hashem hardened the lev Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, so that he pursued after the Bnei Yisroel; and the Bnei Yisroel went out with a high hand [deliberately with assurance].

But the Mitzrayim pursued after them, all the susim and chariots of Pharaoh, and his parash, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the yam, by Pi- Hachirot, in front of Baal Zephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the Bnei Yisroel lifted up their eyes, and, hinei, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were very terrified; and the Bnei Yisroel cried out unto Hashem.

11 And they said unto Moshe, Because there were no kevarim in Mitzrayim, hast thou taken us away to die in the midbar? What hast thou done to us, in bringing us forth out of Mitzrayim?

12 Is not this the very thing that we did tell thee in Mitzrayim, saying, Let us alone, that we may slave for the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to slave for the Egyptians, than that we should die in the midbar.

13 And Moshe said unto HaAm, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the Yeshuat Hashem, which He will bring to you today; for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more ad olam.

14 Hashem shall fight for you, and ye shall keep still.

15 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Why criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the Bnei Yisroel, so that they move on;

16 But lift thou up thy staff, and stretch out thine yad over the yam, and divide it; and the Bnei Yisroel shall go on yabashah (dry land [see Genesis 1:9]) through the midst of the yam.

17 And I, hineni, I will harden the lev Mitzrayim, and they shall go after them; and I will get Me glory over Pharaoh, and over all his army, over his chariots, and upon his parash (horsemen).

18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am Hashem, when I have gotten Me glory over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his parash.

19 And the Malach HaElohim, which goes in front of the Machaneh Yisroel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before their face, and stood behind them;

20 And it came between the machaneh Mitzrayim and the Machaneh Yisroel; there was the anan bringing choshech to the Egyptians, but bringing light by night to Yisroel; so that none came near the other, kol halailah.

21 Then Moshe stretched out his yad over the yam; and Hashem caused the yam to go back by a strong east wind all that night, so that the yam was made dry land, and the mayim were divided.

22 And the Bnei Yisroel then went into the middle of the yam upon the yabashah (dry land); and the mayim were a chomah (wall) unto them on their right, and on their left.

23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the middle of the yam, even kol sus Pharaoh, his chariots, and his parash.

24 So it came to pass, that when came the watch of the boker, Hashem looked down on the machaneh Mitzrayim through the ammud eish (pillar of fire) and of the anan, and caused confusion over the machaneh Mitzrayim,

25 And turned awry their chariot wheels, that they drove them with difficulty; so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the presence of Yisroel; because Hashem fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

26 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Stretch out thine yad over the yam, that the mayim may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their parash.

27 And Moshe stretched forth his yad over the yam, and the yam rushed back to its place as dawn of the boker appeared; and the Egyptians tried to flee away from meeting it; but Hashem swept the Egyptians into the middle of the yam.

28 And the mayim rushed back, and covered the chariots, and the parashim, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the yam after them; there remained as survivors not so much as one of them.

29 But the Bnei Yisroel walked upon yabashah through the yam; and the mayim were a chomah unto them on their right, and on their left.

30 Thus Hashem saved Yisroel yom hahu out of the hand of Mitzrayim; and Yisroel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore.

31 And Yisroel saw the yad hagedolah which Hashem did upon the Egyptians; and HaAm feared Hashem, and put their trust in Hashem, and in His eved Moshe.