Exodus 14-15

New International Version

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol^(A) and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.^{(B) 3} Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ ⁴ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,^(C) and he will pursue them.^(D) But I will gain glory^(E) for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”^(F) So the Israelites did this.

⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,^(G) Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds^(H) about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” ⁶ So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. ⁷ He took six hundred of the best chariots,^(I) along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. ⁸ The Lord hardened the heart^(J) of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.^{(K) 9} The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses^(L) and chariots, horsemen^[a] and troops^(M)—pursued the Israelites and overtook^(N) them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.^(O)

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried^(P) out to the Lord. ¹¹ They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?^(Q) What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”^(R)

¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.^(S) Stand firm and you will see^(T) the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see^(U) again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight^(V) for you; you need only to be still.”^(W)

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?^(X) Tell the Israelites to move on. ¹⁶ Raise your staff^(Y) and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water^(Z) so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ I will harden the hearts^(AA) of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.^(AB) And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. ¹⁸ The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord^(AC) when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

¹⁹ Then the angel of God,^(AD) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud^(AE) also moved from in front and stood behind^(AF) them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness^(AG) 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^(AH) over the sea,^(AI) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind^(AJ) and turned it into dry land.^(AK) The waters were divided,^{(AL) 22} and the Israelites went through the sea^(AM) on dry ground,^(AN) with a wall^(AO) of water on their right and on their left.

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

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

²⁹ But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,^(AY) with a wall^(AZ) of water on their right and on their left. ³⁰ That day the Lord saved^(BA) 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^(BB) of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared^(BC) the Lord and put their trust^(BD) in him and in Moses his servant.

The Song of Moses and Miriam

15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song^(BE) to the Lord:

¹⁹ When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen^[h] went into the sea,^(DF) the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.^{(DG) 20} Then Miriam^(DH) the prophet,^(DI) Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels^(DJ) and dancing.^{(DK) 21} Miriam sang^(DL) to them:

The Waters of Marah and Elim

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

²⁵ Then Moses cried out^(DU) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw^(DV) 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.^{(DW) 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^(DX) all his decrees,^(DY) I will not bring on you any of the diseases^(DZ) I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals^(EA) you.”

²⁷ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped^(EB) there near the water.