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)

²³ The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen^(A) followed them into the sea. ²⁴ During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud^(B) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.^{(C) 25} He jammed^[a] 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^(D) for them against Egypt.”^(E)

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.^(F) The Egyptians were fleeing toward^[b] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.^{(G) 28} The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.^(H) Not one of them survived.^(I)