Crossing the Red Sea
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the Red Sea, near Baal Zephon. 3 The king will think that the Israelites are wandering around in the country and are closed in by the desert. 4 I will make him stubborn, and he will pursue you, and my victory over the king and his army will bring me honor. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” The Israelites did as they were told.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped, he and his officials changed their minds and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites escape, and we have lost them as our slaves!” 6 The king got his war chariot and his army ready. 7 He set out with all his chariots, including the six hundred finest, commanded by their officers. 8 The Lord made the king stubborn, and he pursued the Israelites, who were leaving triumphantly. 9 The Egyptian army, with all the horses, chariots, and drivers, pursued them and caught up with them where they were camped by the Red Sea near Pi Hahiroth and Baal Zephon.
10 When the Israelites saw the king and his army marching against them, they were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. 11 They said to Moses, “Weren't there any graves in Egypt? Did you have to bring us out here in the desert to die? Look what you have done by bringing us out of Egypt! 12 Didn't we tell you before we left that this would happen? We told you to leave us alone and let us go on being slaves of the Egyptians. It would be better to be slaves there than to die here in the desert.”
13 Moses answered, “Don't be afraid! Stand your ground, and you will see what the Lord will do to save you today; you will never see these Egyptians again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and all you have to do is keep still.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out for help? Tell the people to move forward. 16 Lift up your walking stick and hold it out over the sea. The water will divide, and the Israelites will be able to walk through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go in after them, and I will gain honor by my victory over the king, his army, his chariots, and his drivers. 18 When I defeat them, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”
19 The angel of God, who had been in front of the army of Israel, moved and went to the rear. The pillar of cloud also moved until it was 20 between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud made it dark for the Egyptians, but gave light to the people of Israel, and so the armies could not come near each other all night.
21 Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind. It blew all night and turned the sea into dry land. The water was divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on both sides. 23 The Egyptians pursued them and went after them into the sea with all their horses, chariots, and drivers. 24 Just before dawn the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. 25 He made the wheels of their chariots get stuck, so that they moved with great difficulty. The Egyptians said, “The Lord is fighting for the Israelites against us. Let's get out of here!”
26 The Lord said to Moses, “Hold out your hand over the sea, and the water will come back over the Egyptians and their chariots and drivers.” 27 So Moses held out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the water returned to its normal level. The Egyptians tried to escape from the water, but the Lord threw them into the sea. 28 The water returned and covered the chariots, the drivers, and all the Egyptian army that had followed the Israelites into the sea; not one of them was left. 29 But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on both sides.
30 On that day the Lord saved the people of Israel from the Egyptians, and the Israelites saw them lying dead on the seashore. 31 When the Israelites saw the great power with which the Lord had defeated the Egyptians, they stood in awe of the Lord; and they had faith in the Lord and in 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.