The Israelites Cross the Red Sea
1 At Etham the Lord said to Moses:
2 Tell the people of Israel to turn back and camp across from Pi-Hahiroth near Baal-Zephon, between Migdol and the Red Sea. 3 The king will think you were afraid to cross the desert and that you are wandering around, trying to find another way to leave the country. 4 I will make the king stubborn again, and he will try to catch you. Then I will destroy him and his army. People everywhere will praise me for my victory, and the Egyptians will know that I really am the Lord.
The Israelites obeyed the Lord and camped where he told them.
5 When the king of Egypt heard that the Israelites had finally left, he and his officials changed their minds and said, “Look what we have done! We let them get away, and they will no longer be our slaves.”
6 The king got his war chariot and army ready. 7 He commanded his officers in charge of his 600 best chariots and all his other chariots to start after the Israelites. 8 The Lord made the king so stubborn that he went after them, while the Israelites proudly went on their way. 9 But the king's horses and chariots and soldiers caught up with them while they were camping by the Red Sea near Pi-Hahiroth and Baal-Zephon.
10 When the Israelites saw the king coming with his army, they were frightened and begged the Lord for help. 11 They also complained to Moses, “Wasn't there enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway? 12 While we were there, didn't we tell you to leave us alone? We'd rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!”
13 But Moses answered, “Don't be afraid! Be brave, and you will see the Lord save you today. These Egyptians will never bother you again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you won't have to do a thing.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you keep calling out to me for help? Tell the Israelites to move forward. 16 Then hold your walking stick over the sea. The water will open up and make a road where they can walk through on dry ground. 17 I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go after you. Then I will be praised because of what happens to the king and his chariots and cavalry. 18 The Egyptians will know for sure that I am the Lord.”
19 All this time God's angel had gone ahead of Israel's army, but now he moved behind them. A large cloud had also gone ahead of them, 20 but now it moved between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud gave light to the Israelites, but made it dark for the Egyptians, and during the night they could not come any closer.
21 Moses stretched his arm over the sea, and the Lord sent a strong east wind that blew all night until there was dry land where the water had been. The sea opened up, 22 and the Israelites walked through on dry land with a wall of water on each side.
23 The Egyptian chariots and cavalry went after them. 24 But before daylight the Lord looked down at the Egyptian army from the fiery cloud and made them panic. 25 Their chariot wheels got stuck, and it was hard for them to move. So the Egyptians said to one another, “Let's leave these people alone! The Lord is on their side and is fighting against us.”
26 The Lord told Moses, “Stretch your arm toward the sea—the water will cover the Egyptians and their cavalry and chariots.” 27 Moses stretched out his arm, and at daybreak the water rushed toward the Egyptians. They tried to run away, but the Lord drowned them in the sea. 28 The water came and covered the chariots, the cavalry, and the whole Egyptian army that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them was left alive. 29 But the sea had made a wall of water on each side of the Israelites, so they walked through on dry land.
30 On that day, when the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the shore, they knew that the Lord had saved them. 31 Because of the mighty power he had used against the Egyptians, the Israelites worshiped him and trusted him and his servant Moses.
1 Then the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, 2 Speake to the children of Israel, that they returne and campe before Pi-hahiroth, betweene Migdol and the Sea, ouer against Baal-zephon: about it shall ye campe by the Sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are tangled in the land: the wildernesse hath shut them in. 4 And I will harden Pharaohs heart that hee shall follow after you: so I will get mee honour vpon Pharaoh, and vpon all his hoste: the Egyptians also shall knowe that I am the Lord: and they did so. 5 Then it was told the King of Egypt, that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his seruants was turned against the people, and they sayde, Why haue we this done, and haue let Israel go out of our seruice? 6 And he made ready his charets, and tooke his people with him, 7 And tooke sixe hundreth chosen charets, and all the charets of Egypt, and captaines ouer euery one of them. 8 (For the Lord had hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he followed after the children of Israel: but the children of Israel went out with an hie hand) 9 And the Egyptians pursued after them, and all the horses and charets of Pharaoh, and his horsemen and his hoste ouertooke them camping by the Sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon. 10 And when Pharaoh drew nie, the children of Israel lift vp their eyes, and beholde, the Egyptians marched after them, and they were sore afrayde: wherefore the children of Israel cried vnto the Lord. 11 And they sayde vnto Moses, Hast thou brought vs to die in the wildernes, because there were no graues in Egypt? wherefore hast thou serued vs thus, to carie vs out of Egypt? 12 Did not wee tell thee this thing in Egypt, saying, Let vs be in rest, that we may serue the Egyptians? for it had bene better for vs to serue the Egyptians, then that wee shoulde dye in the wildernesse. 13 Then Moses sayde to the people, Feare ye not, stand still, and beholde the saluation of the Lord which he will shew to you this day. For the Egyptians, whome ye haue seene this day, ye shall neuer see them againe. 14 The Lord shall fight for you: therefore hold you your peace. 15 And the Lord sayd vnto Moses, Wherefore cryest thou vnto me? speake vnto the children of Israel that they go forward: 16 And lift thou vp thy rod, and stretche out thine hand vpon the Sea and deuide it, and let the children of Israel goe on drie ground thorow the middes of the Sea. 17 And I, beholde, I will harden the heart of the Egyptians, that they may follow them, and I wil get me honour vpon Pharaoh, and vpon all his host, vpon his charets, and vpon his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I haue gotten me honour vpon Pharaoh, vpon his charets, and vpon his horsemen. 19 (And the Angel of God, which went before the hoste of Israel, remoued and went behinde them: also the pillar of the cloude went from before them, and stoode behinde them, 20 And came betweene the campe of the Egyptians and the campe of Israel: it was both a cloude and darkenes, yet gaue it light by night, so that all the night long the one came not at the other) 21 And Moses stretched forth his hande vpon the Sea, and the Lord caused the sea to runne backe by a strong East winde all the night, and made the Sea dry land: for the waters were deuided. 22 Then the children of Israel went through the middes of the Sea vpon the drie ground, and the waters were a wall vnto them on their right hand, and on their left hand. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them to the middes of the Sea, euen all Pharaohs horses, his charets, and his horsemen. 24 Nowe in the morning watche, when the Lord looked vnto the hoste of the Egyptians, out of the firie and cloudie pillar, he strooke the host of the Egyptians with feare. 25 For he tooke off their charet wheeles, and they draue them with much a doe: so that the Egyptians euery one sayd, I wil flee from the face of Israel: for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 26 Then the Lord sayde to Moses, Stretche thine hand vpon the Sea, that the waters may returne vpon the Egyptians, vpon their charets and vpon their horsemen. 27 Then Moses stretched forth his hand vpon the Sea, and the Sea returned to his force early in the morning, and the Egyptians fled against it: but the Lord ouerthrew the Egyptians in the mids of the Sea. 28 So the water returned and couered the charets and the horsemen, euen all the hoste of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them: there remained not one of them. 29 But the children of Israel walked vpon dry land thorowe the middes of the Sea, and the waters were a wall vnto them on their right hande, and on their left. 30 Thus the Lord saued Israel the same day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel sawe the Egyptians dead vpon the Sea banke. 31 And Israel saw the mightie power, which the Lord shewed vpon the Egyptians: so the people feared the Lord, and beleeued the Lord, and his seruant Moses.