¹⁹ Then the angel of God,^(A) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud^(B) also moved from in front and stood behind^(C) them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness^(D) 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^(E) over the sea,^(F) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind^(G) and turned it into dry land.^(H) The waters were divided,^{(I) 22} and the Israelites went through the sea^(J) on dry ground,^(K) with a wall^(L) of water on their right and on their left.

²³ The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen^(M) followed them into the sea. ²⁴ During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud^(N) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.^{(O) 25} He jammed^[a] 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^(P) for them against Egypt.”^(Q)

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.^(R) The Egyptians were fleeing toward^[b] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.^{(S) 28} The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.^(T) Not one of them survived.^(U)

²⁹ But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,^(V) with a wall^(W) of water on their right and on their left. ³⁰ That day the Lord saved^(X) 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^(Y) of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared^(Z) the Lord and put their trust^(AA) in him and in Moses his servant.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?^(A) Up to seven times?”^(B)

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^[a](C)

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like^(D) a king who wanted to settle accounts^(E) with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold^[b] was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay,^(F) the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold^(G) to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.^(H) ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”^(I)