Exodus
14: 5-31
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people
had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds 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, along with all the
other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The
LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who
were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh's
horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook
them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites
looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and
cried 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? 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!"
13 Moses answered the people, "Do
not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.
The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The
LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
15 Then the LORD said to Moses,
"Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16
Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the
Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will
harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. 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 when I gain glory
through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen."
19 Then the angel of God, who had been
traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud
also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming
between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness 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
over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and
turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the
Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on
their left.
23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all
Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the
pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they
had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites!
The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."
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. The
Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and
horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.
Not one of them survived.
29 But the Israelites went through the
sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians,
and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And
when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the
people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
