Exodus 15
The Voice
Throughout this redemption story, it is clear that the Lord has protected Israel while He has judged and frustrated Egypt. After the many wonders before the Passover and the miraculous guidance by the cloud and the pillar of fire, God destroyed the Egyptian army in the midst of the sea. For centuries people have sought to explain this great miracle and make sense of it. Was it a volcanic eruption and a tsunami that parted the waters? Was it a shallow lake that drowned Pharaoh’s army? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Only God knows. But reason cannot grasp all that took place that day. When God’s covenant people were on the verge of extinction, God stepped in to fight for them. No one survived that day except by the miraculous grace of God.
15 Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Eternal One.
Moses and the Israelites: I will sing to the Eternal, for He has won a great victory;
He has thrown the chariot into the sea: horse and rider.
2 The Eternal is my strength and my song,
and He has come to save me;
He is my God, and I will praise Him.
He is the God of my father, and I will exalt Him.
3 The Eternal is a warrior;
the Eternal is His name.
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has thrown into the sea.
And his high-ranking officers are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The deep waters covered them;
they sank to the muddy depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, Eternal One, is magnificent in power.
Your right hand, Eternal, vanquishes the enemy.
7 In Your majestic greatness You conquer those who rise against You;
You unleash Your burning anger, and it consumes them like straw.
8 With a blast of Your anger the waters piled high,
the waves stood up like a wall;
in the heart of the sea, deep waters turned solid.
9 The enemy said, “I will go after them, chase them down, and divide the spoils;
my desire will be spent on them.
I will draw my sword; my powerful hand will take possession of them once again.”
10 But You blew Your breath-wind, and the sea covered them;
they sank like lead down into the mighty waters.
11 Who compares to You among the gods, O Eternal?
Who compares to You—great in holiness,
awesome in praises, performing marvels and wonders?
12 You raised Your right hand,
and the earth swallowed Your enemies.
13 With Your loyal love, You have led the people You have redeemed;
with Your great strength, You have guided them to Your sacred dwelling.
14 Already people have heard and they tremble;
those who inhabit Philistia are gripped by fear.
15 Even now the chiefs of Edom are deeply disturbed;
Moab’s leaders cannot stop trembling;
all who live in Canaan are deeply distressed and wasting away.
16 Horror and fear overwhelm them.
Faced with the greatness of Your power,
people are afraid to move; they fall as silent as stone,
Until Your people pass by, Eternal One,
until the people whom You purchased pass by.
17 You will bring them and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance—
the place, Eternal, that You have designated to be Your dwelling,
the sanctuary, Lord, that Your hands founded and made ready.
18 The Eternal will reign as King forever and always.
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot-drivers drove into the sea, the Eternal caused the waters to collapse upon them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.
20 The prophetess, Miriam (Aaron’s sister), picked up a tambourine, and all the rest of the women followed her with tambourines and joyful dancing.
21 Miriam: Sing to the Eternal One, for He has won a great victory;
He has thrown the horse and its chariot into the sea.
22 Then Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea, and they entered the desert of Shur. They traveled for three days in the desert before they found water.
23 When they came to the place where they did find water, they could not drink it because it was so bitter. So they called the place Marah, or bitter. 24 Because they were very thirsty, the people complained to Moses.
Israelites: What are we supposed to drink?
25 Moses then asked the Eternal for help, and the Eternal showed him a log. Moses threw the log into the bitter water, and the water became sweet. At Marah the Eternal established an important principle and set a standard for His people so that He could test them.
Eternal One: 26 If you will listen closely to My voice—the voice of your God—and do what is right in My eyes, pay attention to My instructions, and keep all of My laws; then I will not bring on you any of the plagues that I did on the Egyptians, for I am the Eternal, your Healer.
27 Then they traveled on to an oasis called Elim, where there were 12 freshwater springs and 70 palm trees with dates. They set up camp there next to the waters.
Exodus 15
New King James Version
The Song of Moses(A)
15 Then (B)Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying:
“I will (C)sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!
2 The Lord is my strength and (D)song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and (E)I will praise Him;
My (F)father’s God, and I (G)will exalt Him.
3 The Lord is a man of (H)war;
The Lord is His (I)name.
4 (J)Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
(K)His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The depths have covered them;
(L)They sank to the bottom like a stone.
6 “Your (M)right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power;
Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
7 And in the greatness of Your (N)excellence
You have overthrown those who rose against You;
You sent forth (O)Your wrath;
It (P)consumed them (Q)like stubble.
8 And (R)with the blast of Your nostrils
The waters were gathered together;
(S)The floods stood upright like a heap;
The depths [a]congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 (T)The enemy said, ‘I will pursue,
I will overtake,
I will (U)divide the spoil;
My desire shall be satisfied on them.
I will draw my sword,
My hand shall destroy them.’
10 You blew with Your wind,
The sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 “Who(V) is like You, O Lord, among the [b]gods?
Who is like You, (W)glorious in holiness,
Fearful in (X)praises, (Y)doing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand;
The earth swallowed them.
13 You in Your mercy have (Z)led forth
The people whom You have redeemed;
You have guided them in Your strength
To (AA)Your holy habitation.
14 “The (AB)people will hear and be afraid;
(AC)Sorrow[c] will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 (AD)Then (AE)the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed;
(AF)The mighty men of Moab,
Trembling will take hold of them;
(AG)All the inhabitants of Canaan will (AH)melt away.
16 (AI)Fear and dread will fall on them;
By the greatness of Your arm
They will be (AJ)as still as a stone,
Till Your people pass over, O Lord,
Till the people pass over
(AK)Whom You have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and (AL)plant them
In the (AM)mountain of Your inheritance,
In the place, O Lord, which You have made
For Your own dwelling,
The (AN)sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 “The(AO) Lord shall reign forever and ever.”
19 For the (AP)horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and (AQ)the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
The Song of Miriam(AR)
20 Then Miriam (AS)the prophetess, (AT)the sister of Aaron, (AU)took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her (AV)with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam (AW)answered them:
(AX)“Sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!”
Bitter Waters Made Sweet
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of (AY)Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no (AZ)water. 23 Now when they came to (BA)Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called [d]Marah. 24 And the people (BB)complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. (BC)When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There He (BD)made a statute and an [e]ordinance for them, and there (BE)He tested them, 26 and said, (BF)“If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the (BG)diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord (BH)who heals you.”
27 (BI)Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.
Footnotes
- Exodus 15:8 became firm
- Exodus 15:11 mighty ones
- Exodus 15:14 Anguish
- Exodus 15:23 Lit. Bitter
- Exodus 15:25 regulation
Exodus 15
Jubilee Bible 2000
15 ¶ Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song unto the LORD and spoke, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my saving health; he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
3 The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he has cast into the sea; his chosen princes also are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The depths have covered them; they sank into the bottom as a stone.
6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power; thy right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown those that rose up against thee; thou didst send forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my soul shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them. They sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, magnificent in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12 Thou didst stretch out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed; thou hast guided them in thy strength unto the habitation of thy holiness.
14 The peoples shall hear and be afraid; sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling, shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone, until thy people pass over, O LORD, until the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
17 Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place of thy dwelling which thou hast made ready, O LORD, in the Sanctuary of the Lord, which thy hands have established.
18 The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
19 For Pharaoh went in on horseback with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the sons of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
22 ¶ So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24 Then the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There he gave them statutes and rights, and there he proved them
26 and said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God and wilt do that which is right in his sight and wilt give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD thy Healer.
27 And they came to Elim, where there were twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International