1The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
2"Tell the children of Israel to turn back and camp in front of Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baalzephon. Camp there by the sea, facing it."
3"For Pharaoh will say about the children of Israel, 'They are trapped in the land. The wilderness has closed them in.'"
4"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will chase after them. I will be honoured through Pharaoh and through all his army, so that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD." And they did so.
5The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled. Then the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, "Why have we done this? We have let Israel go from serving us."
6So he got his chariot ready, and took his people with him.
7He took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt, with captains over every one of them.
8The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he chased after the children of Israel. But the children of Israel went out boldly.
9The Egyptians chased after them. All Pharaoh's horses and chariots, his horsemen and his army caught up with them as they camped by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, in front of Baalzephon.
10When Pharaoh came near, the children of Israel looked up, and there were the Egyptians marching after them. They were terrified, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.
11They said to Moses, "Were there no graves in Egypt? Is that why you brought us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us like this, bringing us out of Egypt?"
12"Is this not what we told you in Egypt? We said, 'Leave us alone, so that we may serve the Egyptians.' It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."
13Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see how the LORD will save you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again."
14"The LORD will fight for you, and you shall be still."
15The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward."
16"But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it. Then the children of Israel shall walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground."
17"And I, look, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will follow them. I will gain honour through Pharaoh and through all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen."
18"The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honour through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen."
19Then the angel of God, who went in front of the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them.
20It came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. It was a cloud and darkness to the one, but it gave light by night to the other. So neither side came near the other all night.
21Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. All that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind, and made the sea into dry land. The waters were divided.
22The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on dry ground. The waters were a wall for them on their right hand and on their left.
23The Egyptians chased them and went in after them into the middle of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and his horsemen.
24In the morning watch the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and he threw the army of the Egyptians into confusion.
25He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty. So the Egyptians said, "Let us run away from Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians."
26Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen."
27Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and as morning came the sea went back to its full strength. The Egyptians fled towards it, and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.
28The waters came back and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all Pharaoh's army that had come into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them was left.
29But the children of Israel walked on dry land through the middle of the sea. The waters were a wall for them on their right hand and on their left.
30So that day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians. Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the sea shore.
31Israel saw the great work that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and his servant Moses.