⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,^(A) Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds^(B) 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,^(C) along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. ⁸ The Lord hardened the heart^(D) of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.^{(E) 9} The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses^(F) and chariots, horsemen^[a] and troops^(G)—pursued the Israelites and overtook^(H) them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.^(I)

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried^(J) 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?^(K) 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!”^(L)

¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.^(M) Stand firm and you will see^(N) the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see^(O) again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight^(P) for you; you need only to be still.”^(Q)

Manna and Quail

16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin,^(A) which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.^{(B) 2} In the desert the whole community grumbled^(C) against Moses and Aaron. ³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!^(D) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food^(E) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”^(F)

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven^(G) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test^(H) them and see whether they will follow my instructions.

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?”