1Yahweh said to Moses,
2“Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal Zephon. You should camp directly across from it by the sea.
3Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are lost in the land; the desert has trapped them.’
4I will make Pharaoh stubborn, and he will chase after them. Then I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his armies, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” And the Israelites did as they were told.
5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had run away, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people. They said, “What have we done? We’ve let Israel go from serving us!”
6He prepared his chariot and took his army with him.
7He took six hundred of his best chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt, with commanders over each one.
8Yahweh made Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, stubborn, so he chased the Israelites, who had left boldly.
9The Egyptians chased after them. All of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, horsemen, and his army caught up with them as they were camping by the sea, next to Pi Hahiroth, in front of Baal Zephon.
10As Pharaoh got closer, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them. They were very afraid and cried out to Yahweh.
11They said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you do this to us, bringing us out of Egypt?
12Didn’t we tell you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so we can serve the Egyptians?’ It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert.”
13Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still and watch Yahweh rescue you today. You will never see the Egyptians you see today again.
14Yahweh will fight for you; you just need to be still.”
15Yahweh said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move forward.
16Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide it, so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.”
17Look, I myself will make the hearts of the Egyptians stubborn, so they will chase after them. Then I will gain honor for myself over Pharaoh, all his armies, his chariots, and his horsemen.
18The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I gain honor for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.’
19The angel of God, who had been leading the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front of them and stood behind them.
20It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. There was the cloud and darkness for Egypt, but it lit up the night for Israel. So, one group did not come near the other all night.
21Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh made the sea go back all night with a strong east wind. He turned the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
22The people of Israel walked into the middle of the sea on dry ground, with the waters forming a wall on their right and on their left.
23The Egyptians pursued them and went after them into the middle of the sea—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen.
24During the morning watch, Yahweh looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into confusion.
25He made their chariot wheels come off so they had difficulty driving them. Then the Egyptians said, “Let’s run away from Israel, because Yahweh is fighting for them against the Egyptians!”
26Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, their chariots, and their horsemen.”
27Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak, the sea returned to its full force. The Egyptians tried to flee from it, but Yahweh swept the Egyptians into the middle of the sea.
28The waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all of Pharaoh’s army that had gone into the sea after them. Not a single one of them was left.
29But the people of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left.
30So Yahweh saved Israel that day from the power of the Egyptians. Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore.
31Israel saw the great power that Yahweh had shown against the Egyptians, and the people respected Yahweh. They believed in Yahweh and in his servant Moses.