In the Midst of the Sea
1 Then
Yahweh
[God] spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "Speak to the children of Israel,
that they return and camp before Pi-Hahiroth,
between Migdol and the sea,
before Baal-Zaphon.
You shall encamp before it, beside the sea."
3 "Then
Pharaoh
will say
of the children of Israel,
'They are entangled in the land,
the wilderness has shut them in.'
4 And I will strengthen the heart of
Pharaoh,
and he will pursue after them."
"And I will glorify myself in Pharaoh,
and in all his army.
And all Egypt will know
that I am Yahweh."
So they did so.
5 Then the King of Egypt was told
that the people fled,
and his heart
was changed,
of Pharaoh
and
his servants,
against the people.
And they said,
"What is this we have done,
that we have sent out Israel
from serving us?"
6 So he hitched his chariot
and took his people with him.
7 And he took six hundred choice chariots,
and all the chariots of Egypt
with captains over them all.
8 And Yahweh strengthened the heart
of Pharaoh
King of Egypt,
and he pursued after the children of
Israel.
And the children of Israel went out
with hand raised.
9 Then the Egyptians pursued after them,
and overtook them camping beside the sea,
every horse chariot of Pharaoh,
and his horsemen, and his army,
beside Pi-Harihoth, before Baal-Zaphon.
10 And Pharaoh drew near.
Then the children of Israel lifted up their
eyes.
And behold,
the Egyptians pulled up after them,
and they were very afraid.
So the children of Israel shrieked
to Yahweh [God].
11 And they said to Moses,
"Is is because there are no graves in Egypt
that you have taken us to die in the wilderness?
Why have you done this to us,
bringing us out of Egypt?
12 Is this not the word
which we spoke to you in Egypt, saying,
'Leave us alone.
It is better for us to serve the Egyptians
than to die in the wilderness.'"
13 But Moses said to them,
"Do not fear!
Be still and see the salvation of Yahweh,
which he will do for you today!
For the Egyptians whom you see today,
you will not see again anymore forever.
14 Yahweh will fight for you,
and you will continue speechless."
15 But
Yahweh
[God] said to Moses,
"Why do you shriek to me?
Speak to the children of Israel and move out.
16 And you, raise up your staff
and put forth your hand
over the water
and separate it,
and the children of Israel will go
in the midst of the sea
on dry ground."
17 And behold,
I will strengthen the heart of the Egyptians,
and
they will go after you.
And I will glorify myself in
Pharaoh,
and in all his army,
and in all his chariots,
and in all his horsemen.
18 Then the Egyptians will know
that I am Yahweh,
when I glorify myself in Pharaoh,
and in his chariots, and in his horsemen.
19 Then the Angel of God pulled up,
who went before the camp of Israel,
and went behind them.
And the Pillar of Cloud pulled up from
before them,
and stood behind them,
20 and it went between the camp of the Egyptians
and the camp of Israel.
And there was the Cloud and the
Darkness,
and it gave light in the night,
and they did not draw near one another
all night.
21 Then Moses [raised up his staff]
put forth his hand
over the
sea.
And Yahweh went upon the sea,
in a strong east wind all night,
and made the sea into dry land,
and the waters were separated,
22 and the children of Israel went
in the midst of the sea
on dry ground.
And the waters for them were a wall
on the right hand and on the left.
23 And the Egyptians pursued
and went after them,
every horse of Pharaoh, and his
chariot,
and his horsemen,
in the midst of the sea.
24 And it happened,
in the watch of the morning,
that Yahweh looked out
to the camp of the Egyptians,
in the Pillar of Fire and Cloud,
and disturbed the camp of the Egyptians.
25 And turned aside the wheels of their chariots,
and they drove them with difficulty.
And the Egyptians said,
"Let us flee from before Israel.
For Yahweh fights for them against Egypt."
26 Then Yahweh said to Moses,
"Put forth your hand upon the waters,
and return the waters upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen."
27 So Moses put forth his hand upon the waters.
Then the sea returned to its full strength,
when the morning appeared,
and the Egyptians fled against it.
So Yahweh
[God]
overthrew the Egyptians
in the midst of the sea.
28 Then the waters returned
and covered the chariots and the horsemen,
and all the army of Pharaoh,
who came after them into the sea.
Not even one of them remained.
29 And the children of Israel
walked
on dry ground
in the midst of the sea.
And the waters for them were a wall
on the right hand and on the left.
30 So on that day
Yahweh saved Israel
from the hand of the Egyptians.
And Israel saw the Egyptians
dead on the banks of the sea.
31 And Israel saw the great hand
which Yahweh did on the Egyptians.
And the people feared Yahweh,
and they believed in Yahweh,
and in Moses his servant.