Exodus 14:5-18

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Egyptian Pursuit

⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said: “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.” ⁶ So he got his chariot ready and took his troops^[a] with him; ⁷ he took 600 of the best chariots and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in each one. ⁸ The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out triumphantly.^{[b](A) 9} The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen,^[c] and his army—chased^(B) after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians coming after them. Then the Israelites were terrified and cried out^(C) to the Lord for help. ¹¹ They said to Moses: “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”^(D)

¹³ But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see^(E) the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.”^(F)

Escape through the Red Sea

¹⁵ The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to break camp. ¹⁶ As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.^{(G) 17} I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen. ¹⁸ The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I receive glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”