The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

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- Chapter 14 -

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,

“Say to the Israelites that they should turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal Zephon. You are to camp by the sea opposite Pi Hahiroth.

Pharaoh will say about the Israelites, ‘They are wandering in the land. The wilderness has closed in on them.’

I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. I will get honor because of Pharaoh and all his army. The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” So the Israelites camped as they were instructed.

When the king of Egypt was told that the Israelites had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his servants turned against the people. They said, “What have we done in letting Israel go free from working for us?”

Then Pharaoh got his chariots ready and took his army with him.

He took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers on all of them.

Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and the king pursued the Israelites. Now the Israelites had gone away in triumph.

But the Egyptians pursued them, together with all his horses and chariots, his horsemen, and his army. They overtook the Israelites camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

When Pharaoh came close, the Israelites looked up and were surprised. The Egyptians were marching after them, and they were terrified. The Israelites cried out to Yahweh.

They said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt, that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us like this, bringing us out of Egypt?

Is this not what we told you in Egypt? We said to you, ‘Leave us alone, so we can work for the Egyptians.’ It would have been better for us to work for them than to die in the wilderness.”

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the rescue that Yahweh will provide for you today. For you will never see again the Egyptians whom you see today.

Yahweh will fight for you, and you will only have to stand still.”

Parting the Red Sea

Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Why are you, Moses, continuing to call out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.

Lift up your staff, reach out with your hand over the sea and divide it in two, so that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.

Be aware that I will harden the Egyptians’ hearts so they will go after them. I will get honor because of Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Then the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I have gotten honor because of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

The angel of God, who went before the Israelites, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from before them and went to stand behind them.

The cloud came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. It was a dark cloud to the Egyptians, but it lit the night for the Israelites, so one side did not come near the other all night.

Moses reached out with his hand over the sea. Yahweh drove the sea back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea into dry land. In this way the waters were divided.

The Israelites went into the middle of the sea on dry ground. The waters formed a wall for them on their right hand and on their left.

The Egyptians pursued them. They went after them into the middle of the sea-all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen.

But in the early morning hours, Yahweh looked down on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and cloud. He caused panic among the Egyptians.

Their chariot wheels were clogged, and the horsemen drove with difficulty. So the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for Yahweh is fighting for them against us.”

Yahweh said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back onto the Egyptians, their chariots, and their horsemen.”

So Moses reached out with his hand over the sea, and it returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. The Egyptians fled into the sea, and Yahweh drove the Egyptians into the middle of it.

The waters came back and covered Pharaoh’s chariots, horsemen, and his entire army that had followed the chariots into the sea. No one survived.

However, the Israelites walked on dry land in the middle of the sea. The waters were a wall for them on their right hand and on their left.

So Yahweh saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw dead Egyptians on the seashore.

When Israel saw the great power that Yahweh used against the Egyptians, the people honored Yahweh, and they trusted in Yahweh and in his servant Moses.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal Zephon. You shall encamp opposite it by the sea.

Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.’

I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” They did so.

The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”

He prepared his chariot, and took his army with him;

and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, with captains over all of them.

The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; for the children of Israel went out with a high hand.(a)

The Egyptians pursued them. All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen, and his army overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

When Pharaoh came near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were very afraid. The children of Israel cried out to the LORD.

They said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way, to bring us out of Egypt?

Isn’t this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today; for you will never again see the Egyptians whom you have seen today.

The LORD will fight for you, and you shall be still.”

Parting the Red Sea

The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward.

Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. Then the children of Israel shall go into the middle of the sea on dry ground.

Behold, I myself will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will go in after them. I will get myself honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.

The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I have gotten myself honor over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.”

The angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them.

It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. There was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light by night. One didn’t come near the other all night.

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the middle of the sea: all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

In the morning watch, the LORD looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army.

He took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavily; so that the Egyptians said, “Let’s flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians!”

The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come again on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.”

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it. The LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.

The waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even all Pharaoh’s army that went in after them into the sea. There remained not so much as one of them.

But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

Israel saw the great work which the LORD did to the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD; and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

Footnotes

(a)14:8 or, defiantly.