Exodus 14
Common English Bible
Israel crossing the sea
14 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 Tell the Israelites to turn back and set up camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea in front of Baal-zephon. You should set up camp in front of it by the sea. 3 Pharaoh will think to himself, The Israelites are lost and confused in the land. The desert has trapped them. 4 I’ll make Pharaoh stubborn, and he’ll chase them. I’ll gain honor at the expense of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. And they did exactly that.
5 When Egypt’s king was told that the people had run away, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people. They said, “What have we done, letting Israel go free from their slavery to us?” 6 So he sent for his chariot and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred elite chariots and all of Egypt’s other chariots with captains on all of them. 8 The Lord made Pharaoh, Egypt’s king, stubborn, and he chased the Israelites, who were leaving confidently. 9 The Egyptians, including all of Pharaoh’s horse-drawn chariots, his cavalry, and his army, chased them and caught up with them as they were camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth in front of Baal-zephon.
10 As Pharaoh drew closer, the Israelites looked back and saw the Egyptians marching toward them. The Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Weren’t there enough graves in Egypt that you took us away to die in the desert? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt like this? 12 Didn’t we tell you the same thing in Egypt? ‘Leave us alone! Let us work for the Egyptians!’ It would have been better for us to work for the Egyptians than to die in the desert.”
13 But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand your ground, and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never ever see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you. You just keep still.”
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to get moving. 16 As for you, lift your shepherd’s rod, stretch out your hand over the sea, and split it in two so that the Israelites can go into the sea on dry ground. 17 But me, I’ll make the Egyptians stubborn so that they will go in after them, and I’ll gain honor at the expense of Pharaoh, all his army, his chariots, and his cavalry. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I gain honor at the expense of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his cavalry.”
19 God’s messenger, who had been in front of Israel’s camp, moved and went behind them. The column of cloud moved from the front and took its place behind them. 20 It stood between Egypt’s camp and Israel’s camp. The cloud remained there, and when darkness fell it lit up the night. They didn’t come near each other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord pushed the sea back by a strong east wind all night, turning the sea into dry land. The waters were split into two. 22 The Israelites walked into the sea on dry ground. The waters formed a wall for them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians chased them and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and cavalry. 24 As morning approached, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian camp from the column of lightning and cloud and threw the Egyptian camp into a panic. 25 The Lord jammed their chariot wheels so that they wouldn’t turn easily. The Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites, because the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water comes back and covers the Egyptians, their chariots, and their cavalry.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. At daybreak, the sea returned to its normal depth. The Egyptians were driving toward it, and the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the cavalry, Pharaoh’s entire army that had followed them into the sea. Not one of them remained. 29 The Israelites, however, walked on dry ground through the sea. The waters formed a wall for them on their right hand and on their left.
30 The Lord rescued Israel from the Egyptians that day. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the amazing power of the Lord against the Egyptians. The people were in awe of the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Exodus 14
Lexham English Bible
Yahweh Rescues Israel at the Red Sea
14 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites[a] so that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea;[b] before Baal Zephon, which is opposite it, you will camp by the sea. 3 And Pharaoh will say of the Israelites,[c] ‘They are wandering around in the land. The desert has closed in on them.’ 4 And I will harden the heart of Pharaoh, and he will chase after them, and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and through all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” And they did so.
5 And it was told to the king of Egypt that the people fled, and the heart of Pharaoh was changed and that of his servants toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have released Israel from serving us!” 6 And he harnessed his chariot and took with him his people. 7 And he took six hundred select chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and officers over all of them. 8 And Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and he chased after the Israelites.[d] (Now the Israelites[e] were going out boldly.[f]) 9 And the Egyptians chased after them, and they overtook them encamped at the sea—all the horses of the chariots of Pharaoh and his charioteers and his army—at Pi-hahiroth before Baal Zephon.
10 And Pharaoh approached, and the Israelites[g] lifted their eyes, and there were the Egyptians traveling after them! And they were very afraid, and the Israelites[h] cried out to Yahweh. 11 And they said to Moses, “Because there are no graves in Egypt? Is that why you have taken us to die in the desert? What is this you have done to us by bringing us out from Egypt! 12 Isn’t this the word we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone so that we can serve Egypt!’ because serving Egypt is better for us than our dying in the desert.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “You must not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will accomplish for you today, because the Egyptians whom you see today you will see never again. 14 Yahweh will fight for you, and you must be quiet.”
15 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Speak to the Israelites[i] so that they set out.[j] 16 And you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it so that the Israelites[k] can go in the middle of the sea on the dry land. 17 And as for me, look, I am about to harden the heart of the Egyptians so that they come after them, and I will display my glory through Pharaoh and through all of his army, through his chariots and through his charioteers. 18 And the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I display my glory through Pharaoh, through his chariots, and through his charioteers.”
19 And the angel of God who was going before the camp of Israel set out and went behind them. And the column of cloud set out ahead of them, and it stood still behind them, 20 so that it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. And it was a dark cloud,[l] but it gave light to the night,[m] so that neither approached the other[n] all night.
21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh moved the sea[o] with a strong east wind all night, and he made the sea become dry ground, and the waters were divided. 22 And the Israelites[p] entered the middle of the sea on the dry land. The waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians gave chase[q] and entered after them—all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his charioteers—into the middle of the sea. 24 And during the morning watch, Yahweh looked down to the Egyptian camp from in the column of fire and cloud, and he threw the Egyptian camp into a panic. 25 And he removed[r] the wheels of their chariots so that they drove them with difficulty, and the Egyptians said, “We must flee away[s] from Israel because Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt.”
26 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, and let the waters return over the Egyptians, over their chariots, and over their charioteers.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned at daybreak[t] to its normal level, and the Egyptians were fleeing because of it,[u] and Yahweh swept the Egyptians into the middle of the sea. 28 And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the charioteers—all the army of Pharaoh coming after them into the sea. Not even[v] one survived among them. 29 But the Israelites[w] walked on the dry land in the middle of the sea. The waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left. 30 And Yahweh saved Israel on that day from the hand[x] of Egypt, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea. 31 And Israel saw the great hand[y] that Yahweh displayed against Egypt, and the people feared Yahweh, and they believed in Yahweh and in Moses his servant.
Footnotes
- Exodus 14:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 14:2 Literally “and between the sea”
- Exodus 14:3 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 14:8 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 14:8 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 14:8 Literally “with a raised/high hand”
- Exodus 14:10 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 14:10 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 14:15 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 14:15 Or “journey,” “move on,” “travel”
- Exodus 14:16 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 14:20 Literally “the cloud was and the darkness”
- Exodus 14:20 Or “it illumined the night”
- Exodus 14:20 Literally “this did not come near to this”
- Exodus 14:21 Or “caused the sea to go,” “drove the sea”
- Exodus 14:22 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 14:23 Or “pursued,” “chased”
- Exodus 14:25 Or “let turn aside”
- Exodus 14:25 Or “let us flee,” “let me run away”; the verb is singular, but it is plural in context
- Exodus 14:27 Literally “at the turning of morning”
- Exodus 14:27 Literally “to/for/from the meeting of it”
- Exodus 14:28 Literally “up to,” “as far as”
- Exodus 14:29 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 14:30 Or “power”
- Exodus 14:31 Or “power”
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