Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

When Israel Went Out from Egypt

Israel Crosses the Red Sea

14 Now Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ² “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. ³ And Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering in confusion in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ ⁴ 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.

⁵ 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?” ⁶ So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; ⁷ and he took six hundred choice chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. ^8 (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. ⁹ 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.”

⁹ “And the patriarchs, ^(A)becoming jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his afflictions, and ^(B)granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he appointed him governor over Egypt and all his household.

¹¹ “Now ^(C)a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers ^[a]could find no food. ¹² But ^(D)when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. ¹³ And on the second visit ^(E)Joseph ^[b]made himself known to his brothers, and ^(F)Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Then ^(G)Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, ^(H)seventy-five ^[c](I)persons in all. ¹⁵ And ^(J)Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. ¹⁶ And from there they were removed to ^[d](K)Shechem and placed in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of ^[e]Hamor in ^[f]Shechem.