Exodus 14-15
Expanded Bible
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] to turn back to Pi Hahiroth and to camp between Migdol and the ·Red [or Reed; 10:19] Sea. Camp ·across from [opposite] Baal Zephon [C in the eastern Nile Delta; the exact locations of these sites are unknown], ·on the shore of [L by] the sea. 3 ·The king [L Pharaoh] will think, ‘The ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] are ·lost [wandering around], ·trapped [closed/shut in] by the ·desert [wilderness].’ 4 I will ·make the king stubborn [L harden the heart of Pharaoh] again so he will ·chase after [pursue] them, but I will ·defeat the king and his army, bringing honor to me [L gain glory over Pharaoh and over his army], and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” ·The Israelites [L They] did just as they were told.
The King Chases the Israelites
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the ·Israelites [people] had ·left [or fled], he and his officers changed their minds about them. They said, “What have we done? We have ·lost [sent away] the Israelites who served us!” 6 So ·the king [L he] ·prepared [harnessed] his war chariot and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of his best chariots, together with all the other chariots of Egypt, each with an officer in it. 8 The Lord ·made the king of Egypt stubborn [L hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt], so he ·chased [pursued] the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], who were leaving ·victoriously [boldly; L with uplifted hand]. 9 The Egyptians—with all the king’s horses, chariot drivers, and army—·chased the Israelites [L pursued them]. They caught up with them while they were camped by the ·Red Sea [L Sea; 10:19], near Pi Hahiroth and Baal Zephon [14:1].
10 When the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] saw ·the king and his army [L Egypt] coming after them, they were very frightened and cried to the Lord for help. 11 They said to Moses, “What have you done to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the ·desert [wilderness]? ·There were [L Were there not…?] plenty of graves for us in Egypt. 12 ·We told [L Did we not tell…?] you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone; we will stay and serve the Egyptians.’ Now we will die in the desert.”
13 But Moses answered, “Don’t be afraid! Stand still and you will see the Lord save you today. You will never see these Egyptians again after today. 14 You only need to remain ·calm [or still]; the Lord will fight for you [15:3].”
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Command the Israelites to ·start moving [get going; depart]. 16 Raise your ·walking stick [staff] and ·hold it [L extend/stretch your hand] over the sea so that the sea will split and the ·people [L sons/T children of Israel] can ·cross it [L go in the midst of the sea] on dry land. 17 I will ·make the Egyptians stubborn [L harden the hearts of the Egyptians] so they will ·chase the Israelites [L go after them], but I will be ·honored [glorified] when I defeat ·the king [L Pharaoh] and all of his chariot drivers and chariots. 18 When I defeat ·the king [L Pharaoh], his chariot drivers, and chariots, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”
19 Now the angel of God that usually traveled in front of ·Israel’s army [L them] moved behind them. Also, the pillar of cloud [13:21] moved from in front of the people and stood behind them. 20 So the cloud came between the camp of the Egyptians and camp of the Israelites. This made it dark for the Egyptians but gave light to the Israelites. So the cloud kept ·the two armies [L them] apart all night.
21 Then Moses ·held [extended; stretched] his hand over the sea. All that night the Lord drove back the sea with a strong east wind, making the sea become dry ground. The water was split, 22 and the ·Israelites [L the sons/T children of Israel] went through the sea on dry land, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
23 Then all ·the king’s [L Pharaoh’s] horses, chariots, and chariot drivers ·followed [pursued] them into the sea. 24 ·When morning came [L At the morning watch], the Lord looked down from the pillar of cloud and fire at the Egyptian army and made them panic. 25 He clogged their chariot wheels,[a] making it hard to ·drive the chariots [L turn]. The Egyptians shouted, “Let’s ·get away [flee] from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them and against Egypt [15:3].”
26 Then the Lord told Moses, “·Hold [Extend; Stretch] your hand over the sea so that the water will come back over the Egyptians, their chariots, and chariot drivers.” 27 So Moses ·raised [extended; stretched] his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its ·place [or normal depth]. The Egyptians tried to ·run [flee] from it, but the Lord ·swept them away [tossed; overthrew them] into the sea. 28 The water returned, covering the chariots, chariot drivers, and all ·the king’s [L Pharaoh’s] army that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them ·survived [remained].
29 But the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] crossed the sea on dry land, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 So that day the Lord saved the Israelites from the Egyptians, and the Israelites saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore. 31 When the Israelites saw ·the great power the Lord had used [L what God did with his strong hand] against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they ·trusted [had confidence in] the Lord and his servant Moses.
The Song of Moses
15 Then Moses and the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord,
because he ·is worthy of great honor [is highly exalted; has triumphed gloriously].
He has ·thrown the horse and its rider
into the sea.
2 The Lord ·gives me strength and makes me sing [L is my strength and my song];
he ·has saved me [L is my salvation].
He is my God,
and I will praise him.
He is the God of my ·ancestors [fathers],
and I will ·honor [exalt] him.
3 The Lord is a ·warrior [L man of war];
·the Lord [L Yahweh; 3:14–17] is his name.
4 The chariots and soldiers of ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh]
he has ·thrown [cast] into the sea.
·The king’s [L His] ·best [handpicked; elite] officers
are drowned in the ·Red [or Reed; 10:19] Sea.
5 The ·deep waters [floods] covered them,
and they sank ·to the bottom [L into the depths] like a ·rock [stone].
6 Your right hand, Lord,
is ·amazingly [gloriously] strong.
Lord, your right hand
broke the enemy to pieces.
7 In your great victory
you ·destroyed [demolished] those who ·were [L rose up] against you.
·Your anger destroyed them [L You sent out your anger],
·like fire burning straw [L it consumed them like chaff/stubble/straw].
8 Just a blast of your ·breath [or anger],
and the waters piled up.
The moving water stood like a ·wall [or heap];
the ·deep waters [floods] ·became solid [congealed] in the ·middle [L heart] of the sea.
9 “The enemy ·bragged [L said],
‘I’ll ·chase them [L pursue] and ·catch them [L overtake].
I’ll ·take all their riches [L divide the plunder];
·I’ll take all I want [L My desire/appetite will have my fill of them].
I’ll ·pull out [draw] my sword,
and my hand will destroy them.’
10 But you blew on them with your ·breath [or wind]
and covered them with the sea.
They sank like lead
in the ·raging water [mighty waters].
11 “·Are there any gods like you [L Who is like you among the gods], Lord?
·There are no gods [L Who is…?] like you.
You are ·wonderfully holy [splendid/majestic in holiness],
·amazingly powerful [awesome in power],
·a worker of miracles [doing wonders].
12 You ·reached out with [extend; stretch out] your right hand,
and the earth swallowed ·our enemies [L them].
13 You ·keep your loving promise
and lead [L led by your covenant love] the people you have ·saved [L redeemed; ransomed].
With your strength you will guide them
to your holy ·place [abode; C the Promised Land].
14 “The ·other nations [L peoples] will hear this and tremble with fear;
·terror [writhing; pangs] will take hold of the Philistines.
15 The ·leaders of the tribes [chiefs] of Edom will be ·very frightened [scared];
the powerful men of Moab will ·shake with fear [be seized by shaking];
the people of Canaan will ·lose all their courage [L melt].
16 Terror and horror will fall on them.
·When they see your strength [L By the power of your arm],
they will be as still as a ·rock [stone].
They will be still until your people pass by, Lord.
They will be still until the people you have ·taken as your own [purchased; acquired; or created] pass by.
17 You will ·lead your people [L bring them] and ·place [L plant] them
on ·your very own mountain [L the mountain of your possession/inheritance],
the place that you, Lord, made for ·yourself to live [your abode],
the ·temple [sanctuary], Lord, that your hands have ·made [established].
18 The Lord will ·be king [reign] forever!”
19 The horses, chariot drivers, and chariots of ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh] went into the sea, and the Lord ·covered them with [L returned on them the] water from the sea. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry land. 20 Then Aaron’s sister Miriam, a prophetess, took a tambourine in her hand. All the women followed her, playing tambourines and dancing. 21 Miriam told them:
“Sing to the Lord,
because he ·is worthy of great honor [is highly exalted; or has triumphed gloriously];
he has thrown the horse and its rider
into the sea.”
Bitter Water Becomes Good
22 Moses led the Israelites away from the ·Red [or Reed; 10:19] Sea into the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Shur. They traveled for three days in the ·desert [wilderness] but found no water. 23 Then they came to Marah, where there was water, but they could not drink it because it was too bitter. (That is why the place was named Marah [C Hebrew for “bitter”].) 24 The people ·grumbled [complained] to Moses and asked, “What will we drink?”
25 So Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a ·tree [or piece of wood]. When Moses threw the ·tree [or piece of wood] into the water, the water became ·good to drink [L sweet].
There the Lord gave the people a ·rule [statute; ordinance; requirement] and a law to live by, and there he tested ·their loyalty to him [L them]. 26 He said, “You must ·obey [or listen to the voice of] the Lord your God and do what ·he says is right [L is right in his eyes/sight]. If you obey all his ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and keep his rules, I will not bring on you any of the ·sicknesses [diseases] I brought on the Egyptians. I am the Lord ·who heals you [your physician].”
27 Then the people traveled to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. So the people camped there near the water.
Footnotes
- Exodus 14:25 clogged their chariot wheels This phrase appears in some Greek copies. The Hebrew text has “misdirected their chariot wheels”
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