Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Power of God in His Deliverance of Israel^(A)

The Red Sea Crossing

14 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ² “Speak to the children of Israel, ^(A)that they turn and camp before ^(B)Pi Hahiroth, between ^(C)Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. ³ For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ^(D)‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ ⁴ Then ^(E)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I ^(F)will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, ^(G)that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

⁵ Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and ^(H)the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” ⁶ So he ^[a]made ready his chariot and took his people with him. ⁷ Also, he took ^(I)six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. ⁸ And the Lord ^(J)hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and ^(K)the children of Israel went out with boldness. ⁹ So the ^(L)Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

¹⁰ And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel ^(M)cried out to the Lord. ^11 (N)Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? ^12 (O)Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

¹³ And Moses said to the people, ^(P)“Do not be afraid. ^(Q)Stand still, and see the ^(R)salvation^[b] of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall ^(S)see again no more forever. ^14 (T)The Lord will fight for you, and you shall ^(U)hold^[c] your peace.”

¹⁵ And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. ¹⁶ But ^(V)lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. ¹⁷ And I indeed will ^(W)harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will ^(X)gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. ¹⁸ Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

The Patriarchs in Egypt

^9 (A)“And the patriarchs, becoming envious, ^(B)sold Joseph into Egypt. ^(C)But God was with him ¹⁰ and delivered him out of all his troubles, ^(D)and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. ^11 (E)Now a famine and great ^[a]trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. ^12 (F)But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. ¹³ And the ^(G)second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. ^14 (H)Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and ^(I)all his relatives to him, ^[b]seventy-five people. ^15 (J)So Jacob went down to Egypt; ^(K)and he died, he and our fathers. ¹⁶ And ^(L)they were carried back to Shechem and laid in ^(M)the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.