Exodus 14Previous Chapter | Next ChapterCrossing the Red Sea1The LORD said to Moses,2“Tell the Israelites that they should turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You shall camp in front of Baal Zephon, opposite it by the sea.3Pharaoh will say about the Israelites, ‘They’re wandering aimlessly in the land, and the desert has closed in on them.’4I’ve made Pharaoh’s heart stubbornLit. strongso he will pursue them. And I’ll receive honor by means ofOr overPharaoh and his army, so that the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the IsraelitesLit. theydid.5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mindsLit. heartof Pharaoh and his officialsOr servantschanged toward the people, and they said, “What have we done in releasing Israel from serving us?”6So PharaohLit. hehad his chariot prepared and took his troopsOr peoplewith him.7He took 600 of the best chariots, and all the otherThe Heb. lacks otherchariots of Egypt with officers in charge of each one.8The LORD made the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt stubbornLit. strongand he pursued the Israelites, as they were going out defiantly.Lit. with a high hand9The Egyptians pursued them—all the chariot-horses of Pharaoh, with his horsemen and army—and they overtook them camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal Zephon.10As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians bearing down on them. Extremely frightened, the Israelites cried out to the LORD.11They alsoThe Heb. lacks alsosaid to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the desert? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?12Is this not what we told you in Egypt, when we said, ‘Leave us aloneLit. cease from usand let us serve the Egyptians?’ Indeed, it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”13Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid! Stand still and watch the deliverance of the LORD which he will accomplish for you today, because you will never again see the Egyptians whom you see today.14The LORD will fight for you while you keep still.”15Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move out!16You are to raise your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it, so the Israelites may go into the middle of the sea on dry land.17Even now I’m hardening the heart of the Egyptians so they’ll go after the Israelites.Lit. themThen I’ll receive honor by means ofOr overPharaoh and all his army, his chariots and his horsemen.18Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I receive honor by means ofOr overPharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”19Then the angel of God, who was going in front of the camp of Israel, moved behind them. The pillar of cloud alsoThe Heb. lacks alsomoved from in front of them and stood behind them,20coming between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. The cloud remained there evenThe Heb. lacks evenin the darkness,Lit. and the darknessilluminating the night, but the one side did not come near the other all night.21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the water to retreat by a strong east wind all night, turning the sea into dry land. As the waters were divided,22the Israelites went into the middle of the sea on dry land, and the waters formed a wall for them on their right and on their left.23The Egyptians pursued—all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen—and they went into the middle of the sea after them.24In the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the Egyptian camp through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw the Egyptian camp into a panic.25He made the wheels of their chariots wobbleOr fall offso that they drove them with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let’s flee from Israel because the LORD is fighting for them and against us.”Lit. for them against the Egyptians The Egyptians Drown in the Sea26Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, and over their horsemen.”27Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the water returned to its normal depth at daybreak. The Egyptians fled before it, and the LORD destroyedLit. shook offthe Egyptians in the middle of the sea.28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen of Pharaoh’s entire army, which had gone into the sea after the Israelites. Not a single one of them remained.29But the Israelites had walked through the middle of the sea on dry land, and the waters had been like a wall for them on their right and on their left.30On that day the LORD delivered Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea.31When Israel saw the great powerLit. handwith which the LORD had acted against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed the LORD and Moses his servant.
so he will pursue them. And I’ll receive honor by means of
