Pharaoh Pursues the Israelites
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the Israelites, that they turn back and encamp in front of Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You shall encamp by the sea in front of Baal Zephon.
3 Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will follow after them, and I will be honored through Pharaoh and through all of his armies, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” So this is what the Israelites did.
5 The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and 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?”
6 He prepared his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and he took 600 chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt, with captains over all of them.
8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, for the Israelites went out with hands held high. 9 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.
10 When Pharaoh came near, the Israelites looked up, and the Egyptians were marching after them, and they were terrified. The Israelites cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt, that have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way, to bring us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we said to you in Egypt, ‘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.”
13 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. 14 Hold your peace, and the Lord will fight for you.”
Parting the Red Sea
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. Then the Israelites shall go into the middle of the sea on dry ground. 17 I myself will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will go in after them. I will receive glory through Pharaoh and through all of his armies, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I have gained honor over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.”
19 The angel of the Lord, 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. 20 It came between the Egyptian and the Israelite camps. The cloud remained in the darkness, yet it gave light by night. Neither camp came near the other all night.
21 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. 22 The Israelites went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them, to their right and to their left.
23 The Egyptians pursued them, going after them into the middle of the sea: all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
24 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. 25 He took off their chariot wheels, and they drove with difficulty, so that the Egyptians said, “Let’s flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians!”
26 The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned at daybreak to its normal place, and the Egyptians fled against it. The Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone in after them into the sea. There remained not so much as one of them. 29 But the Israelites walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left.
30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 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.