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.

Water From the Rock

17 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin,^(A) traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim,^(B) but there was no water^(C) for the people to drink. ² So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water^(D) to drink.”^(E)

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”^(F)

³ But the people were thirsty^(G) for water there, and they grumbled^(H) against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die^(I) of thirst?”

⁴ Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone^(J) me.”

⁵ The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff^(K) with which you struck the Nile,^(L) and go. ⁶ I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.^(M) Strike^(N) the rock, and water^(O) will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ And he called the place Massah^[a](P) and Meribah^[b](Q) because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The Amalekites Defeated

⁸ The Amalekites^(R) came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.^{(S) 9} Moses said to Joshua,^(T) “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff^(U) of God in my hands.”

¹⁰ So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur^(V) went to the top of the hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,^(W) but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. ¹² When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.^{(X) 13} So Joshua overcame the Amalekite^(Y) army with the sword.

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write^(Z) this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out^(AA) the name of Amalek^(AB) from under heaven.”

¹⁵ Moses built an altar^(AC) and called^(AD) it The Lord is my Banner. ¹⁶ He said, “Because hands were lifted up against^[c] the throne of the Lord,^[d] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites^(AE) from generation to generation.”^(AF)