Old/New Testament
14 Jehovah now instructed Moses, 2 “Tell the people to turn toward Piha-hiroth between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal-zephon, and to camp there along the shore. 3 For Pharaoh will think, ‘Those Israelites are trapped now, between the desert and the sea!’ 4 And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and he will chase after you. I have planned this to gain great honor and glory over Pharaoh and all his armies, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.”
So they camped where they were told.
5 When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelis were not planning to return to Egypt after three days, but to keep on going, Pharaoh and his staff became bold again. “What is this we have done, letting all these slaves get away?” they asked. 6 So Pharaoh led the chase in his chariot, 7 followed by the pick of Egypt’s chariot corps—600 chariots in all—and other chariots driven by Egyptian officers. 8 He pursued the people of Israel, for they had taken much of the wealth of Egypt with them. 9 Pharaoh’s entire cavalry—horses, chariots, and charioteers—was used in the chase; and the Egyptian army overtook the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Piha-hiroth, across from Baal-zephon.
10 As the Egyptian army approached, the people of Israel saw them far in the distance, speeding after them, and they were terribly frightened and cried out to the Lord to help them.
11 And they turned against Moses, whining, “Have you brought us out here to die in the desert because there were not enough graves for us in Egypt? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you, while we were slaves, to leave us alone? We said it would be better to be slaves to the Egyptians than dead in the wilderness.”
13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch, and you will see the wonderful way the Lord will rescue you today. The Egyptians you are looking at—you will never see them again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you won’t need to lift a finger!”[a]
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Quit praying and get the people moving! Forward, march! 16 Use your rod—hold it out over the water, and the sea will open up a path before you, and all the people of Israel shall walk through on dry ground! 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will go in after you and you will see the honor I will get in defeating Pharaoh and all his armies, chariots, and horsemen. 18 And all Egypt shall know that I am Jehovah.”
19 Then the Angel of God, who was leading the people of Israel, moved the cloud around behind them, 20 and it stood between the people of Israel and the Egyptians. And that night, as it changed to a pillar of fire, it gave darkness to the Egyptians but light to the people of Israel! So the Egyptians couldn’t find the Israelis!
21 Meanwhile, Moses stretched his rod over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the sea, with walls of water on each side; and a strong east wind blew all that night, drying the sea bottom. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the sea on dry ground! 23 Then the Egyptians followed them between the walls of water along the bottom of the sea—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen. 24 But in the early morning Jehovah looked down from the cloud of fire upon the array of the Egyptians, and began to harass them. 25 Their chariot wheels began coming off, so that their chariots scraped along the dry ground. “Let’s get out of here,” the Egyptians yelled. “Jehovah is fighting for them and against us.”
26 When all the Israelites were on the other side,[b] the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand again over the sea, so that the waters will come back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 Moses did, and the sea returned to normal beneath the morning light. The Egyptians tried to flee, but the Lord drowned them in the sea. 28 The water covered the path and the chariots and horsemen. And of all the army of Pharaoh that chased after Israel through the sea, not one remained alive.
29 The people of Israel had walked through on dry land, and the waters had been walled up on either side of them. 30 Thus Jehovah saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and the people of Israel saw the Egyptians dead, washed up on the seashore. 31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty miracle the Lord had done for them against the Egyptians, they were afraid and revered the Lord, and believed in him and in his servant Moses.
15 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord:
I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
He has thrown both horse and rider into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength, my song, and my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him.
He is my father’s God—I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a warrior—
Yes, Jehovah is his name.
4 He has overthrown Pharaoh’s chariots and armies,
Drowning them in the sea.
The famous Egyptian captains are dead beneath the waves.
5 The water covers them.
They went down into the depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power;
It dashes the enemy to pieces.
7 In the greatness of your majesty
You overthrew all those who rose against you.
You sent forth your anger, and it consumed them as fire consumes straw.
8 At the blast of your breath
The waters divided!
They stood as solid walls to hold the seas apart.
9 The enemy said, “I will chase after them,
Catch up with them, destroy them.
I will cut them apart with my sword
And divide the captured booty.”
10 But God blew with his wind, and the sea covered them.
They sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who else is like the Lord among the gods?
Who is glorious in holiness like him?
Who is so awesome in splendor,
A wonder-working God?
12 You reached out your hand and the earth swallowed them.
13 You have led the people you redeemed.
But in your loving-kindness
You have guided them wonderfully
To your holy land.
14 The nations heard what happened, and they trembled.
Fear has gripped the people of Philistia.
15 The leaders of Edom are appalled,
The mighty men of Moab tremble;
All the people of Canaan melt with fear.
16 Terror and dread have overcome them.
O Lord, because of your great power they won’t attack us!
Your people whom you purchased
Will pass by them in safety.
17 You will bring them in and plant them on your mountain,
Your own homeland, Lord—
The sanctuary you made for them to live in.
18 Jehovah shall reign forever and forever.
19 The horses of Pharaoh, his horsemen, and his chariots
Tried to follow through the sea;
But the Lord let down the walls of water on them
While the people of Israel walked through on dry land.
20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine and led the women in dances.
21 And Miriam sang this song:
Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously.
The horse and rider have been drowned in the sea.
22 Then Moses led the people of Israel on from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the wilderness of Shur and were there three days without water. 23 Arriving at Marah, they couldn’t drink the water because it was bitter (that is why the place was called Marah, meaning “bitter”).
24 Then the people turned against Moses. “Must we die of thirst?” they demanded.
25 Moses pleaded with the Lord to help them, and the Lord showed him a tree to throw into the water, and the water became sweet.
It was there at Marah that the Lord laid before them the following conditions, to test their commitment to him: 26 “If you will listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and obey it, and do what is right, then I will not make you suffer the diseases I sent on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you.” 27 And they came to Elim where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees; and they camped there beside the springs.
17 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John to the top of a high and lonely hill, 2 and as they watched, his appearance changed so that his face shone like the sun and his clothing became dazzling white.
3 Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with him. 4 Peter blurted out, “Sir, it’s wonderful that we can be here! If you want me to, I’ll make three shelters,[a] one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 But even as he said it, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am wonderfully pleased with him. Obey him.”[b]
6 At this the disciples fell face downward to the ground, terribly frightened. 7 Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said, “don’t be afraid.”
8 And when they looked, only Jesus was with them.
9 As they were going down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after he had risen from the dead.
10 His disciples asked, “Why do the Jewish leaders insist Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”[c]
11 Jesus replied, “They are right. Elijah must come and set everything in order. 12 And, in fact, he has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and was badly mistreated by many. And I, the Messiah,[d] shall also suffer at their hands.”
13 Then the disciples realized he was speaking of John the Baptist.
14 When they arrived at the bottom of the hill, a huge crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, 15 “Sir, have mercy on my son, for he is mentally deranged and in great trouble, for he often falls into the fire or into the water; 16 so I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t cure him.”
17 Jesus replied, “Oh, you stubborn, faithless people! How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy and it left him, and from that moment the boy was well.
19 Afterwards the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast that demon out?”
20 “Because of your little faith,” Jesus told them. “For if you had faith even as small as a tiny mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would go far away. Nothing would be impossible. 21 But this kind of demon won’t leave unless you have prayed and gone without food.”[e]
22-23 One day while they were still in Galilee, Jesus told them, “I am going to be betrayed into the power of those who will kill me, and on the third day afterwards I will be brought back to life again.” And the disciples’ hearts were filled with sorrow and dread.
24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the Temple tax collectors came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your master pay taxes?”
25 “Of course he does,” Peter replied.
Then he went into the house to talk to Jesus about it, but before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings levy assessments against their own people or against conquered foreigners?”
26-27 “Against the foreigners,” Peter replied.
“Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the shore and throw in a line, and open the mouth of the first fish you catch. You will find a coin to cover the taxes for both of us; take it and pay them.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.