The Red Sea Crossing
1 Now theLordspoke to Moses, saying:
2 “Speak to the children of Israel,that they turn and camp beforePi Hahiroth, betweenMigdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel,‘Theyarebewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’
4 ThenI will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and Iwill gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army,that the Egyptians may know that IamtheLord.” And they did so.
5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, andthe heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”
6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.
7 Also, he tooksix hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.
8 And theLordhardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; andthe children of Israel went out with boldness.
9 So theEgyptians pursued them, all the horsesandchariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.
10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israelcried out to theLord.
11 Then they said to Moses, “Becausetherewereno graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?
12 Isthis not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? Foritwouldhavebeenbetter for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
13 And Moses said to the people,“Do not be afraid.Stand still, and see thesalvation of theLord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shallsee again no more forever.
14 TheLordwill fight for you, and you shallhold your peace.”
15 And theLordsaid to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
16 Butlift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on drygroundthrough the midst of the sea.
17 And I indeed willharden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I willgain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.
18 Then the Egyptians shall know that IamtheLord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 And the Angel of God,who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.
20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darknesstotheone,and it gave light by nighttotheother,so that the one did not come near the other all that night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and theLordcaused the sea to gobackby a strong east wind all that night, andmade the sea into dryland,and the waters weredivided.
22 Sothe children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dryground,and the waterswerea wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
24 Now it came to pass, in the morningwatch, thattheLordlooked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians.
25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for theLordfights for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then theLordsaid to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.”
27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the seareturned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So theLordoverthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
28 Thenthe waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen,andall the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.
29 Butthe children of Israel had walked on drylandin the midst of the sea, and the waterswerea wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 So theLordsaved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israelsaw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
31 Thus Israel saw the great work which theLordhad done in Egypt; so the people feared theLord, andbelieved theLordand His servant Moses.