Exodus 14

The Crossing of the Sea

Pharaoh Pursues Israel

1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel, that they turn back and camp before Pi-Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-Zephon. Opposite it you shall camp by the sea. 3Pharaoh will say concerning the sons of Israel, ‘They are confused in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4And I will strengthen Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will be honored through Pharaoh and through all his army. Then Egypt shall know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.

5When it was told to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have sent Israel away from serving us?” 6So he harnessed his chariot and took his people with him. 7He took six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8The LORD strengthened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the sons of Israel while the sons of Israel were going out with a high hand. 9The Egyptians pursued them—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen, and his army—and overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-Hahiroth, before Baal-Zephon.

Israel Cries Out at the Sea

10When Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, Egypt was marching after them. They were very afraid, and the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this you have done to us by bringing us out from Egypt? 12Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone, and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13Moses said to the people, “Do not fear. Stand firm and see the salvation of the LORD that he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14The LORD will fight for you, and you shall be silent.”

The LORD Commands Israel Forward

15The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Speak to the sons of Israel, that they go forward. 16And you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the sons of Israel may go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. 17And I, behold, I will strengthen the heart of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them. I will be honored through Pharaoh and through all his army, through his chariots and through his horsemen. 18And Egypt shall know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots, and through his horsemen.”

19Then the angel of God, who was going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20coming between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light by night, so that the one did not come near the other all night.

21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry ground, and the waters were divided. 22And the sons of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

23The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea—all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24And in the morning watch the LORD looked down on the Egyptian forces from the pillar of fire and of cloud and threw the Egyptian forces into confusion, 25clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against Egypt.”

26Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained.

29But the sons of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they trusted in the LORD and in Moses his servant.