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.

Crossing the Jordan

3 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim^(A) and went to the Jordan,^(B) where they camped before crossing over. ² After three days^(C) the officers^(D) went throughout the camp,^{(E) 3} giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant^(F) of the Lord your God, and the Levitical^(G) priests^(H) carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. ⁴ Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits^[a](I) between you and the ark; do not go near it.”

⁵ Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves,^(J) for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things^(K) among you.”

⁶ Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

⁷ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you^(L) in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.^{(M) 8} Tell the priests^(N) who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

⁹ Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. ¹⁰ This is how you will know that the living God^(O) is among you^(P) and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites,^(Q) Hivites, Perizzites,^(R) Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.^{(S) 11} See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth^(T) will go into the Jordan ahead of you.^{(U) 12} Now then, choose twelve men^(V) from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³ And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth^(W)—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream^(X) will be cut off^(Y) and stand up in a heap.^(Z)”

¹⁴ So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant^(AA) went ahead^(AB) of them. ¹⁵ Now the Jordan^(AC) is at flood stage^(AD) all during harvest.^(AE) Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, ¹⁶ the water from upstream stopped flowing.^(AF) It piled up in a heap^(AG) a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan,^(AH) while the water flowing down^(AI) to the Sea of the Arabah^(AJ) (that is, the Dead Sea^(AK)) was completely cut off.^(AL) So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.^{(AM) 17} The priests^(AN) who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground,^(AO) while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.^(AP)

Warnings From Israel’s History

10 For I do not want you to be ignorant^(A) of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud^(B) and that they all passed through the sea.^{(C) 2} They were all baptized into^(D) Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food^{(E) 4} and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock^(F) that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.^(G)