Exodus 14 New American Standard Bible

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◄ Exodus 14 ►

New American Standard Bible

Pharaoh in Pursuit

1Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. 3For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4And I will [a]harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.

5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, [b]Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this that we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6So he had horses harnessed to his chariot and took his people with him; 7and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8So the LORD [c]hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out [d]boldly. 9Then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

10As Pharaoh approached, the sons of Israel [e]looked, and behold, the Egyptians were coming after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, [f]bringing us out of Egypt? 12Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘[g]Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness!”

The Sea Is Divided

13But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! [h]Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will perform for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again, ever. 14The LORD will fight for you, while you keep silent.”

15Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 16As for you, lift up your staff and reach out with your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall [i]go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17And as for Me, behold, I will [j]harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18Then the Egyptians will 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 had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud [k]along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Therefore the one did not approach the other all night.

21Then Moses reached out with his hand over the sea; and the LORD [l]swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22So the sons of Israel [m]went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left. 23Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. 24But at the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the [n]army of the Egyptians [o]through the pillar of fire and cloud, and brought the [p]army of the Egyptians into confusion. 25He [q]caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians each said, “Let me flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”

26Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” 27So Moses reached out with his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing [r]right into it; then the LORD [s]overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. 29But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left.

30So the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31When Israel saw the great [t]power which the LORD had [u]used against the Egyptians, the people [v]feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.

[a] 4 Lit make strong
[b] 5 Lit the heart of Pharaoh...was changed
[c] 8 Lit made strong
[d] 8 Lit with a high hand
[e] 10 Lit lifted up their eyes
[f] 11 Lit so as to bring
[g] 12 Lit Cease from us
[h] 13 Or Take your stand
[i] 16 Lit enter the
[j] 17 Lit make strong
[k] 20 Lit and the darkness
[l] 21 Lit caused to go
[m] 22 Lit entered the
[n] 24 Lit camp
[o] 24 Or in
[p] 24 Lit camp
[q] 25 Or removed
[r] 27 Lit to meet it
[s] 27 Lit shook off
[t] 31 Lit hand
[u] 31 Lit done
[v] 31 Or revered

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