Exodus

Crossing of the Red Sea

Then the Lord said to Moses:

“Tell the people of Israel to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, facing Baal-zephon. You will camp opposite this place and near the sea.

So Pharaoh will think that the people of Israel have lost their way, and the wilderness has closed in on them.

Then I will make the Lord’s heart stubborn so that he will pursue you. And I will draw glory for myself at the expense of Pharaoh and his army, and the Egyptians shall know I am the Lord!”

And the Israelites did as they had been instructed.

The king of Egypt was informed that the people had fled; then Pharaoh and his ministers reconsidered their stance toward the people. “What have we done,” they said, “in allowing Israel to go and be free of our service?”

Pharaoh readied his chariot and assembled his army with him.

There were six hundred of his finest chariots; indeed, he took all the Egyptian chariots, each with its warriors.

The Lord had hardened the mind of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who set out to pursue the Israelites as they marched forth triumphantly.

The Egyptians—all the chariots and horses of Pharaoh, his horsemen, and his army—chased and caught up with them when they had encamped by the sea near Pi-hahiroth, facing Baal-zephon.

The Israelites saw the Egyptians marching after them: Pharaoh was drawing near. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord.

Then they said to Moses:

“Were there no tombs in Egypt? Why have you brought us to the desert to die?

What have you done by bringing us out of Egypt? Isn’t this what we said in Egypt: Let us work for the Egyptians. Far better to serve Egypt than to die in the desert!”

Moses said to the people:

“Have no fear! Stay where you are and see the work the Lord will do to save you today. The Egyptians whom you see today, you will never see again!

The Lord will fight for you and all you have to do is to keep still.”

The Lord said to Moses:

“Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.

You will raise your staff and stretch your hand over the sea and divide it to let the Israelites go through the sea on dry ground.

I will so harden the minds of the Egyptians that they will follow you.

And I will have glory at the expense of Pharaoh, his army, chariots, and horsemen. The Egyptians will know I am the Lord when I gain glory for myself at the cost of Pharaoh and his army!”

The angel of God who had gone ahead of the Israelites now placed himself behind them. The pillar of cloud changed its position

from the front to the rear, between the camps of the Israelites and the Egyptians. For one army, the cloud provided light; for the other, darkness, so that throughout the night, the armies drew no closer to each other.

Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and the Lord made a strong east wind blow all night and dry up the sea. The waters divided

and the sons of Israel went on dry ground through the middle of the sea, with the waters forming a wall to their right and their left.

The Egyptians followed them, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and horsemen moved forward in the middle of the sea.

It happened that in the morning watch, the Lord looked towards the Egyptian camp in the pillar of cloud and fire and threw it into confusion.

He so clogged their chariot wheels that they could hardly move. Then the Egyptians said:

“Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

Then the Lord said to Moses:

“Stretch your hand over the sea and let the waters come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and horsemen.”

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. At daybreak, the sea returned to its place. The Lord swept them into the sea as the Egyptians tried to flee.

The waters flowed back and engulfed the chariots and horsemen of the whole army of Pharaoh that had followed Israel into the sea. Not one of them escaped.

As for the Israelites, they went forward on dry ground in the middle of the sea, the waters forming a wall on their right and left.

On that day, the Lord delivered Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore.

They understood what wonders the Lord had done for them against Egypt, and the people feared the Lord. They believed in the Lord and Moses, his servant.