Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures
The Lord said to Moses: Tell the Israelites to turn back and Encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-sephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, "They are astray in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them." Then I will stiffen Pharaoh?s heart and he will pursue them, that I may gain glory through Pharaoh and all his host; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.
And they did so.
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his courtiers had a change of heart about the people and said, "What is this we have done, releasing Israel from our service?" He ordered his chariot and took his men with him; he took six hundred of his picked chariots, and the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in all of them. The Lord stiffened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he gave chase to the Isralites. As the Israelites were departing defiantly, the Egyptians gave chase to them, and all the chariot horses of Pharaoh, his horsemen, and his warriors overtook them encamped by the sea, near Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.
As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites caught sight of the Egyptians advancing upon them. Greatly frightened, the Israelites cried out to the Lord. And they said to Moses, "Was it for want of graves in Egypt that you brought us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us be, and we will serve the Egyptians, for it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness'?" But Moses said to the people, "Have not fear! Stand by, and witness the deliverance which the Lord will work for you today; for the Egyptians who you see today you will never see again. The Lord will battle for you; you hold your peace!"
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. And you lift up your rod and hold out your arm over the sea and split it, so that the Israelites may march into the sea on dry ground. And I will stiffen the hearts of the Egyptians so that they go in after them; and I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his warriors, his chariots and his horsemen. Let the Egyptians know that I am Lord, when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."
The angel of God, who had been going ahead of the Israelite army, now moved and followed behind them; and the pillar of cloud shifted from in front of them and took up a place behind them, and it came between the army of the Egyptians and the army of Israel. Thus there was the cloud with the darkness, and it cast a spell upon the night, so that the one could not come near the other all through the night.
Then Moses held out his arm over the sea and the Lord drove back the sea with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The waters were split, and the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians came in pursuit after them into the sea, all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen. At the morning watch, the Lord looked down upon the Egyptian army from a pillar of fire and cloud, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He locked the wheels of their chariots so that they moved forward with difficulty. And the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt."
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Hold out your arm over the sea that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians and upon their chariots and upon their horsemen." Moses held out his arm over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state, and the Egyptians fled at its approach. But the Lord hurled the Egyptians into the sea. The waters turned back and covered the chariots and the horsemen — Pharaoh's entire army that followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites had marched through the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.
Thus the Lord delivered Israel that day from the Egyptians. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea. And when Israel saw the wondrous power which the Lord had wielded against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord; they had faith in the Lord and His servant Moses.
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The Five Books of Moses
YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying:
Speak to the Children of Israel,
that they may turn back and encamp before Pi ha-Hirot, between Migdol and the sea,
before Baal-Tzefon, opposite it, you are to encamp by the sea.
Now Pharaoh will say of the Children of Israel:
They are confused in the land! The wilderness has closed them in!
I will make Pharaoh?s heart strong-willed, so that he pursues them,
and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army,
so that the Egyptians may know that I am YHWH.
They did thus.
Now the king of Egypt was told that the people fled,
and Pharaoh?s heart and (that of) his servants changed regarding the people, they said:
What is this that we have done, that we have sent free Israel from serving us?
He had his chariot harnessed,
his (fighting-) people he took with him,
and he took six hundred selected chariots and every (kind of) chariot of Egypt,
teams-of-three upon them all.
Now YHWH made the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt strong-willed, so that he pursued the Children of Israel,
while the Children of Israel were going out with a high hand.
The Egyptians pursued them and overtook them encamped by the sea,
all of Pharaoh?s chariot-horses, his riders, and his army,
by Pi ha-Hirot, before Baal-Tzefon.
As Pharaoh drew near, the Children of Israel lifted up their eyes:
Here, Egypt marching after them!
They were exceedingly afraid.
And the Children of Israel cried out to YHWH,
They said to Moshe:
Is it because there are no graves in Egypt
that you have taken us out to die in the wilderness?
What is this that you have done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?
Is this not the very word that we spoke to you in Egypt,
saying: Let us alone, that we may serve Egypt!
Indeed, better for us serving Egypt
than our dying in the wilderness!
Moshe said to the people:
Do not be afraid!
Stand fast and see
YHWH's deliverance which he will work for you today,
for as you see Egypt today, you will never see it again for the ages!
YHWH will make war for you, and you — be still!
YHWH said to Moshe:
Why do you cry out to me?
Speak to the the Children of Israel, and let-them-march-forward!
And you —
hold your staff high, stretch out your hand over the sea
and split it,
so that the Children of Israel may come through the midst of the sea upon the dry-land.
But I,
here, I will make Egypt?s heart strong-willed,
so that they come in after them,
and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army,
his chariots and his riders;
the Egyptians shall know that I am YHWH,
when I am glorified through Pharaoh, his chariots and his riders.
The messenger of God that was going before the camp of Israel moved on and went behind them,
the column of cloud moved ahead of them
and stood behind them,
coming between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel.
Here were the cloud and the darkness,
and (there) it lit up the night:
the-one did not come near the-other all night.
Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea,
and YHWH caused the sea to go back
with a fierce east wind all night,
and made the sea into firm-ground;
thus the waters split.
The Children of Israel came through the midst of the sea upon the dry-land,
the waters a wall for them on their right and on their left.
But the Egyptians pursued and came in after them,
all of Pharaoh?s horses, his chariots and his riders,
into the midst of the sea.
Now it was at the daybreak-watch:
YHWH looked out against the camp of Egypt in the column of fire and cloud,
and he panicked the camp of Egypt,
he loosened the wheels of his chariots and made them to drive with heaviness.
Egypt said:
I must flee before Israel,
for YHWH makes war for them against Egypt!
Then YHWH said to Moshe:
Stretch out your hand over the sea,
and the waters shall return
upon Egypt — upon its chariots and upon its riders.
Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea,
and the sea returned, at the face of dawn, to its original-place,
as the Egyptians were fleeing toward it.
And YHWH shook the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
The waters returned,
they covered the chariots and the riders of all of Pharaoh?s army that had come after them into the sea,
not even one of them remained. |
New Revised Standard Version
Then the Lord said to Moses: Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it, by the sea. Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, "They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them." I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people, and they said, "What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?" So he had his chariot made ready, and took his army with him; he took six hundred picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out boldly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, his chariot drivers and his army; they overtook them camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, "Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." But Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still."
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers." The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers." So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. |
