Exodus 15
Good News Translation
The Song of Moses
15 (A)Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord, because he has won a glorious victory;
he has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea.
2 (B)The Lord is my strong defender;
he is the one who has saved me.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will sing about his greatness.
3 The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name.
4 “He threw Egypt's army and its chariots into the sea;
the best of its officers were drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The deep sea covered them;
they sank to the bottom like a stone.
6 “Your right hand, Lord, is awesome in power;
it breaks the enemy in pieces.
7 In majestic triumph you overthrow your foes;
your anger blazes out and burns them up like straw.
8 You blew on the sea and the water piled up high;
it stood up straight like a wall;
the deepest part of the sea became solid.
9 The enemy said, ‘I will pursue them and catch them;
I will divide their wealth and take all I want;
I will draw my sword and take all they have.’
10 But one breath from you, Lord, and the Egyptians were drowned;
they sank like lead in the terrible water.
11 “Lord, who among the gods is like you?
Who is like you, wonderful in holiness?
Who can work miracles and mighty acts like yours?
12 You stretched out your right hand,
and the earth swallowed our enemies.
13 Faithful to your promise, you led the people you had rescued;
by your strength you guided them to your sacred land.
14 The nations have heard, and they tremble with fear;
the Philistines are seized with terror.
15 The leaders of Edom are terrified;
Moab's mighty men are trembling;
the people of Canaan lose their courage.
16 Terror and dread fall upon them.
They see your strength, O Lord,
and stand helpless with fear
until your people have marched past—
the people you set free from slavery.
17 You bring them in and plant them on your mountain,
the place that you, Lord, have chosen for your home,
the Temple that you yourself have built.
18 You, Lord, will be king forever and ever.”
The Song of Miriam
19 The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. But when the Egyptian chariots with their horses and drivers went into the sea, the Lord brought the water back, and it covered them.
20 The prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took her tambourine, and all the women followed her, playing tambourines and dancing. 21 Miriam sang for them:
“Sing to the Lord, because he has won a glorious victory;
he has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea.”
Bitter Water
22 Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they walked through the desert, but found no water. 23 Then they came to a place called Marah, but the water there was so bitter that they could not drink it. That is why it was named Marah.[a] 24 The people complained to Moses and asked, “What are we going to drink?” 25 (C)Moses prayed earnestly to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood, which he threw into the water; and the water became fit to drink.
There the Lord gave them laws to live by, and there he also tested them. 26 He said, “If you will obey me completely by doing what I consider right and by keeping my commands, I will not punish you with any of the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians. I am the Lord, the one who heals you.”
27 Next they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees; there they camped by the water.
Footnotes
- Exodus 15:23 This name in Hebrew means “bitter.”
Exodus 15
English Standard Version
The Song of Moses
15 Then Moses and the people of Israel (A)sang this song to the Lord, saying,
(B)“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider[a] he has thrown into the sea.
2 (C)The Lord is my strength and my (D)song,
and he has become (E)my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
(F)my father's God, and (G)I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is (H)a man of war;
(I)the Lord is his name.
4 (J)“Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
and his chosen (K)officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The (L)floods covered them;
they (M)went down into the depths like a stone.
6 (N)Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,
your right hand, O Lord, (O)shatters the enemy.
7 In the (P)greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
you send out your fury; it (Q)consumes them like stubble.
8 At the (R)blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
the (S)floods stood up in a heap;
the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, (T)‘I will pursue, I will overtake,
I (U)will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
10 You (V)blew with your wind; the (W)sea covered them;
they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 (X)“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in (Y)glorious deeds, (Z)doing wonders?
12 You stretched out (AA)your right hand;
the earth swallowed them.
13 “You have (AB)led in your steadfast love the people whom (AC)you have redeemed;
you have (AD)guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
14 (AE)The peoples have heard; they tremble;
pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Now are the chiefs of Edom (AF)dismayed;
trembling seizes the leaders of (AG)Moab;
(AH)all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
16 Terror and (AI)dread fall upon them;
because of the greatness of your arm, they are still (AJ)as a stone,
till your people, O Lord, pass by,
till the people pass by whom (AK)you have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and (AL)plant them on your own mountain,
the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode,
(AM)the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
18 (AN)The Lord will reign forever and ever.”
19 For when (AO)the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, (AP)the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. 20 Then (AQ)Miriam (AR)the prophetess, the (AS)sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and (AT)all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:
(AU)“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Bitter Water Made Sweet
22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of (AV)Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to (AW)Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah.[b] 24 And the people (AX)grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he (AY)cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log,[c] and he (AZ)threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord[d] made for them a statute and a rule, and there he (BA)tested them, 26 saying, (BB)“If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the (BC)diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, (BD)your healer.”
27 Then (BE)they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.
Footnotes
- Exodus 15:1 Or its chariot; also verse 21
- Exodus 15:23 Marah means bitterness
- Exodus 15:25 Or tree
- Exodus 15:25 Hebrew he
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
