Exodus 13:17-14:4

English Standard Version

Pillars of Cloud and Fire

¹⁷ When Pharaoh let the people go, God did ^(A)not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people ^(B)change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸ But God ^(C)led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. ¹⁹ Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph^[a] had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, ^(D)“God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” ²⁰ And ^(E)they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. ²¹ And ^(F)the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. ²² The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

Crossing the Red Sea

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the people of Israel to ^(G)turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between ^(H)Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. ³ For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ ⁴ And ^(I)I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will ^(J)get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, ^(K)and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.