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Israel Crosses the Red Sea

14 Now Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel so that they turn back and camp before (A)Pi-hahiroth, between (B)Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. And Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering in confusion in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ Thus (C)I will [a]harden Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and (D)he will pursue them; and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army, so that (E)the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” And they did so.

Then the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; and he took six hundred choice chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. (F)And Yahweh [b]hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, with strength, and he pursued the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out with an [c](G)exalted hand. Then (H)the Egyptians pursued them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, (I)beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

10 Now Pharaoh drew near, and the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very afraid; (J)so the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh. 11 Then (K)they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this you have done against us in [d]bringing us out of Egypt? 12 (L)Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘[e]Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than for us to die in the wilderness.” 13 But Moses said to the people, “(M)Do not fear! [f]Stand by and see (N)the salvation of Yahweh which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 14 (O)Yahweh will fight for you, and (P)you will keep silent.”

15 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Speak to the sons of Israel so that they go forward. 16 As for you, raise up (Q)your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and split it, and the sons of Israel shall [g]go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17 As for Me, behold, (R)I will [h]harden the hearts of the Egyptians with strength so that they will go in after them; and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 (S)Then the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh, when I am glorified through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.”

19 (T)Then the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud [i]along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.

21 (U)Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Yahweh [j]swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea into (V)dry ground, so (W)the waters were split. 22 (X)So the sons of Israel [k]went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and (Y)the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 Then (Z)the Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. 24 Then at the morning watch, (AA)Yahweh looked down on the camp of the Egyptians [l]through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the camp of the Egyptians into confusion. 25 And He [m]caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, “Let [n]us flee from Israel, (AB)for Yahweh is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”

26 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “(AC)Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and (AD)the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak while the Egyptians were fleeing [o]right into it; then Yahweh [p](AE)overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, [q]even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; (AF)not even one of them remained. 29 But the sons of Israel walked on (AG)dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 (AH)Thus Yahweh saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel (AI)saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Then Israel saw the great hand which Yahweh had [r]used against the Egyptians; and the people [s]feared Yahweh, and (AJ)they believed in Yahweh and in His servant Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 14:4 Lit strengthen
  2. Exodus 14:8 Lit strengthened
  3. Exodus 14:8 Lit high hand
  4. Exodus 14:11 Lit so as to bring
  5. Exodus 14:12 Lit Cease from us
  6. Exodus 14:13 Or Take your stand
  7. Exodus 14:16 Lit enter the
  8. Exodus 14:17 Lit strengthen
  9. Exodus 14:20 Lit and the darkness
  10. Exodus 14:21 Lit caused to go
  11. Exodus 14:22 Lit entered the
  12. Exodus 14:24 Or in
  13. Exodus 14:25 Or removed
  14. Exodus 14:25 Lit me
  15. Exodus 14:27 Lit to meet it
  16. Exodus 14:27 Lit shook off
  17. Exodus 14:28 Lit in respect to
  18. Exodus 14:31 Lit done
  19. Exodus 14:31 Or reverenced

Crossing the Red Sea

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it, by the sea.(A) Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them.’ I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.(B)

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people, and they said, “What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?” So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him; he took six hundred elite chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out boldly.(C) The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his chariot drivers and his army; they overtook them camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.(D)

10 As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord.(E) 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?(F) 12 Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today, for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again.(G) 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”(H)

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16 But you lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground.(I) 17 Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.(J) 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.”(K)

19 The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them.(L) 20 It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.(M) 22 The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.(N) 23 The Egyptians pursued and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. 24 At the morning watch the Lord, in the pillar of fire and cloud, looked down on the Egyptian army and threw the Egyptian army into a panic.(O) 25 He clogged[a] their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”(P)

The Pursuers Drowned

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea.(Q) 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained.(R) 29 But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.(S)

30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.(T) 31 Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.(U)

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Footnotes

  1. 14.25 Sam Gk Syr: MT removed