Crossing the Red Sea — Exodus

17When Pharaoh sent the people away, God did not lead the people by the way of the land of the Philistine, because it was near; for God said, Lest the people change their minds when they see battle and return to Egypt. 18So God turned the people toward the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea, and the sons of Israel went up armed from the land of Egypt. 19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because he had made the sons of Israel swear an oath, saying, God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you. 20They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21The LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, to travel by day and by night. 22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

Chapter 14

1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2Speak to the sons of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp opposite it by the sea. 3Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, They are confused in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them. 4I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue after them, and I will gain honor through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD. And they did so. 5When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, Pharaoh's heart and the hearts of his servants turned against the people, and they said, What have we done, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6He harnessed his chariot and took his people with him. 7He took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the sons of Israel while the sons of Israel were going out with a high hand. 9The Egyptians pursued after them and overtook them as they were encamped by the sea—all Pharaoh's chariot horses, his horsemen, and his army—at Pi-hahiroth in front of Baal-zephon. 10As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel lifted their eyes and saw the Egyptians marching after them; they were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11They said to Moses, Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us out to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt when we said, Leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians, for it would be better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness? 13Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid; stand firm and see the salvation that the LORD will accomplish for you today, for the Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. 14The LORD will fight for you, and you shall keep silent. 15The LORD said to Moses, Why do you cry to me? Tell the sons of Israel to set out. 16As for you, lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the sons of Israel may go through the midst of the sea on dry ground. 17I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will gain honor through Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots and his horsemen. 18The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I have gained honor through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. 19Then the angel of God who had been going before the camp of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The cloud and the darkness were there, yet it gave light by night, so that neither came near the other all night. 21Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land; the waters were divided. 22The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on dry ground, with the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. 23The Egyptians pursued and went in after them—all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen—into the midst of the sea. 24At the morning watch the LORD looked down on the camp of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud and threw the camp of the Egyptians into confusion. 25He clogged the wheels of their chariots and caused them to drive heavily, so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt. 26The LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, and the waters will return upon Egypt, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen. 27Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state while Egypt were fleeing into it; the LORD tossed Egypt into the midst of the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. 29The sons of Israel walked on dry ground through the midst of the sea, with the waters a wall for them on their right and on their left. 30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of Egypt, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore of the sea. 31When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised against Egypt, the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in Moses his servant.