Exodus 14
14
1Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2“Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you must camp in front of Baal-zephon, facing it by the sea. # 14:2 Ex 13:18; Nm 33:7; Jr 44:1 3Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in. 4I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this. # 14:4 Ex 4:21; 7:5; Rm 9:17,22–23
The Egyptian Pursuit
5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.” 6So he got his chariot ready and took his troops # 14:6 Lit people with him; 7he took six hundred of the best chariots and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in each one. 8The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out defiantly. # 14:8 Lit with a raised hand,# 14:8 Ex 6:1; 13:9; Nm 33:3; Ac 13:17 9The Egyptians — all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen, # 14:9 Or chariot drivers and his army — chased # 14:9 Ex 15:9; Jos 24:6 after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
10As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and there were the Egyptians coming after them! The Israelites were terrified and cried out # 14:10 Jos 24:7; Neh 9:9; Ps 34:17 to the Lord for help. 11They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” # 14:12 Ex 5:21; Ps 106:7–8
13But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see # 14:13 Gn 15:1; 46:3; Ex 20:20; 2Ch 20:15,17; Is 41:10 the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.” # 14:14 Ex 14:25; Dt 1:30; 3:22; Jos 10:14; 2Ch 20:29; Is 30:15
Escape through the Red Sea
15The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to break camp. 16As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. # 14:16 Ex 4:17; Nm 20:8–9; Is 10:26 17As for me, I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen. 18The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I receive glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19Then the angel of God, # 14:19 Ex 23:20,23; 32:34; 33:2 who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them. # 14:19 Ex 13:21; Is 63:9 20It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. There was cloud and darkness, it lit up the night, and neither group came near the other all night long.
21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, # 14:21 Ex 15:8; Jos 3:16; Neh 9:11; Ps 74:13; 114:3,5; Is 63:12–13 22and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. # 14:22 Ex 15:19; Ps 66:6; Is 63:13; Hab 3:10; 1Co 10:1; Heb 11:29
23The Egyptians set out in pursuit — all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen — and went into the sea after them. 24During the morning watch, the Lord looked down at the Egyptian forces from the pillar of fire # 14:24 Ex 13:21; Nm 14:14; Neh 9:12 and cloud, and threw the Egyptian forces into confusion. 25He caused their chariot wheels to swerve # 14:25 Sam, LXX, Syr read He bound their chariot wheels,# 14:25 Or fall off and made them drive # 14:25 Or and they drove them with difficulty. “Let’s get away from Israel,” the Egyptians said, “because the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt! ”
26Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots and horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth. While the Egyptians were trying to escape from it, the Lord threw them into the sea. # 14:27 Ex 5:1,7; Jos 4:18; Ps 78:53; Heb 11:29 28The water came back and covered the chariots # 14:28 Ps 106:11; Heb 3:8,13 and horsemen, plus the entire army of Pharaoh that had gone after them into the sea. Not even one of them survived.
29But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. 30That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed # 14:31 Ps 106:12; Jn 2:11 in him and in his servant Moses.
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Exodus 14: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Exodus 14
14
The people cross the Red Sea
1At Etham the LORD said to Moses:
2Tell the people of Israel to turn back and camp across from Pi-Hahiroth near Baal-Zephon, between Migdol and the Red Sea.#14.2 Red Sea: Hebrew hayyam “the Sea”, understood as yam suph, “Sea of Reeds” (see also the note at 13.18). 3The king#14.3 The king: See the note at 1.11. will think they were afraid to cross the desert and that they are wandering around, trying to find another way to leave the country. 4I 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.
5When 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.”
6The king got his war chariot and army ready. 7He commanded his officers in charge of his six hundred best chariots and all his other chariots to start after the Israelites. 8The LORD made the king so stubborn that he went after them, even though the Israelites proudly#14.8 proudly: Or “victoriously”. went on their way. 9But 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.
10When the Israelites saw the king coming with his army, they were frightened and begged the LORD for help. 11They 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? 12While we were there, didn't we tell you to leave us alone? We would rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!”
13But Moses answered, “Don't be afraid! Be brave, and you will see the LORD save you today. These Egyptians will never bother you again. 14The LORD will fight for you, and you won't have to do a thing.”
15The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you keep calling out to me for help? Tell the Israelites to move forward. 16Then hold your walking stick over the sea. The water will open up and make a road where they can walk through on dry ground. 17I 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. 18The Egyptians will know for sure that I am the LORD.”
19All 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, 20but 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.
21Moses 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, 22and the Israelites walked through on dry land with a wall of water on each side.#1 Co 10.1-2; He 11.29.
23The Egyptian chariots and cavalry went after them. 24But before daylight the LORD looked down at the Egyptian army from the fiery cloud and made them panic. 25Their chariot wheels got stuck,#14.25 stuck: The Samaritan Hebrew text and two ancient translations; Hebrew “came off”. 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.”
26The LORD told Moses, “Stretch your arm towards the sea—the water will cover the Egyptians and their cavalry and chariots.” 27Moses stretched out his arm, and at daybreak the water rushed towards the Egyptians. They tried to run away, but the LORD drowned them in the sea. 28The 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. 29But the sea had made a wall of water on each side of the Israelites; so they walked through on dry land.
30On that day, when the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the shore, they knew that the LORD had saved them. 31Because of the mighty power he had used against the Egyptians, the Israelites worshipped him and trusted him and his servant Moses.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012