The Waters of Marah and Elim

²² Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert^(A) of Shur.^(B) For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.^{(C) 23} When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.^[a](D)) ²⁴ So the people grumbled^(E) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”^(F)

²⁵ Then Moses cried out^(G) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw^(H) it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.

There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.^{(I) 26} He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep^(J) all his decrees,^(K) I will not bring on you any of the diseases^(L) I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals^(M) you.”

²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand^(A) over the sea,^(B) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind^(C) and turned it into dry land.^(D) The waters were divided,^{(E) 22} and the Israelites went through the sea^(F) on dry ground,^(G) with a wall^(H) of water on their right and on their left.

²³ The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen^(I) followed them into the sea. ²⁴ During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud^(J) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.^{(K) 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^(L) for them against Egypt.”^(M)

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

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