Exodus 14-17
New King James Version
The Red Sea Crossing
14 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, (A)that they turn and camp before (B)Pi Hahiroth, between (C)Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, (D)‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then (E)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I (F)will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, (G)that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and (H)the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he [a]made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took (I)six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the Lord (J)hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and (K)the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 So the (L)Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.
10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel (M)cried out to the Lord. 11 (N)Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 (O)Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
13 And Moses said to the people, (P)“Do not be afraid. (Q)Stand still, and see the (R)salvation[b] of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall (S)see again no more forever. 14 (T)The Lord will fight for you, and you shall (U)hold[c] your peace.”
15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But (V)lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will (W)harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will (X)gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 And the Angel of God, (Y)who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and (Z)made the sea into dry land, and the waters were (AA)divided. 22 So (AB)the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were (AC)a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
24 Now it came to pass, in the morning (AD)watch, that (AE)the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He [d]troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He [e]took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord (AF)fights for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea (AG)returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord (AH)overthrew[f] the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then (AI)the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But (AJ)the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 So the Lord (AK)saved[g] Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel (AL)saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great [h]work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and (AM)believed the Lord and His servant Moses.
The Song of Moses(AN)
15 Then (AO)Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying:
“I will (AP)sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!
2 The Lord is my strength and (AQ)song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and (AR)I will praise Him;
My (AS)father’s God, and I (AT)will exalt Him.
3 The Lord is a man of (AU)war;
The Lord is His (AV)name.
4 (AW)Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
(AX)His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The depths have covered them;
(AY)They sank to the bottom like a stone.
6 “Your (AZ)right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power;
Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
7 And in the greatness of Your (BA)excellence
You have overthrown those who rose against You;
You sent forth (BB)Your wrath;
It (BC)consumed them (BD)like stubble.
8 And (BE)with the blast of Your nostrils
The waters were gathered together;
(BF)The floods stood upright like a heap;
The depths [i]congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 (BG)The enemy said, ‘I will pursue,
I will overtake,
I will (BH)divide the spoil;
My desire shall be satisfied on them.
I will draw my sword,
My hand shall destroy them.’
10 You blew with Your wind,
The sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 “Who(BI) is like You, O Lord, among the [j]gods?
Who is like You, (BJ)glorious in holiness,
Fearful in (BK)praises, (BL)doing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand;
The earth swallowed them.
13 You in Your mercy have (BM)led forth
The people whom You have redeemed;
You have guided them in Your strength
To (BN)Your holy habitation.
14 “The (BO)people will hear and be afraid;
(BP)Sorrow[k] will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 (BQ)Then (BR)the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed;
(BS)The mighty men of Moab,
Trembling will take hold of them;
(BT)All the inhabitants of Canaan will (BU)melt away.
16 (BV)Fear and dread will fall on them;
By the greatness of Your arm
They will be (BW)as still as a stone,
Till Your people pass over, O Lord,
Till the people pass over
(BX)Whom You have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and (BY)plant them
In the (BZ)mountain of Your inheritance,
In the place, O Lord, which You have made
For Your own dwelling,
The (CA)sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 “The(CB) Lord shall reign forever and ever.”
19 For the (CC)horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and (CD)the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
The Song of Miriam(CE)
20 Then Miriam (CF)the prophetess, (CG)the sister of Aaron, (CH)took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her (CI)with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam (CJ)answered them:
(CK)“Sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!”
Bitter Waters Made Sweet
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of (CL)Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no (CM)water. 23 Now when they came to (CN)Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called [l]Marah. 24 And the people (CO)complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. (CP)When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There He (CQ)made a statute and an [m]ordinance for them, and there (CR)He tested them, 26 and said, (CS)“If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the (CT)diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord (CU)who heals you.”
27 (CV)Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.
Bread from Heaven
16 And they (CW)journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and (CX)Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. 2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel (CY)complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 And the children of Israel said to them, (CZ)“Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, (DA)when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain (DB)bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather [n]a certain quota every day, that I may (DC)test them, whether they will (DD)walk in My law or not. 5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and (DE)it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”
6 Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, (DF)“At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7 And in the morning you shall see (DG)the glory of the Lord; for He (DH)hears your complaints against the Lord. But (DI)what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but (DJ)against the Lord.”
9 Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, (DK)‘Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.’ ” 10 Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord (DL)appeared in the cloud.
11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 (DM)“I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, (DN)‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and (DO)in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
13 So it was that (DP)quail came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning (DQ)the dew lay all around the camp. 14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was (DR)a small round (DS)substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.
And Moses said to them, (DT)“This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it (DU)according to each one’s need, one (DV)omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’ ”
17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, (DW)he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need. 19 And Moses said, “Let no one (DX)leave any of it till morning.” 20 Notwithstanding they did not [o]heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.
22 And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is (DY)a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ” 24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not (DZ)stink, nor were there any worms in it. 25 Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 (EA)Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”
27 Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. 28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long (EB)do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? 29 See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 And the house of Israel called its name [p]Manna. And (EC)it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
32 Then Moses said, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Fill an omer with it, to be kept for your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, (ED)“Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up (EE)before the Testimony, to be kept. 35 And the children of Israel (EF)ate manna (EG)forty years, (EH)until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 Now an omer is one-tenth of an ephah.
Water from the Rock(EI)
17 Then (EJ)all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of (EK)Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to (EL)drink. 2 (EM)Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”
So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you (EN)tempt the Lord?”
3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people (EO)complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our (EP)livestock with thirst?”
4 So Moses (EQ)cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to (ER)stone[q] me!”
5 And the Lord said to Moses, (ES)“Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which (ET)you struck the river, and go. 6 (EU)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”
And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 So he called the name of the place (EV)Massah[r] and [s]Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they [t]tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Victory over the Amalekites(EW)
8 (EX)Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with (EY)the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses (EZ)held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became [u]heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, (FA)“Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that (FB)I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, [v]The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because [w]the Lord has (FC)sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 14:6 harnessed
- Exodus 14:13 deliverance
- Exodus 14:14 Lit. be quiet
- Exodus 14:24 confused
- Exodus 14:25 Sam., LXX, Syr. bound
- Exodus 14:27 Lit. shook off
- Exodus 14:30 delivered
- Exodus 14:31 Lit. hand with which the Lord worked
- Exodus 15:8 became firm
- Exodus 15:11 mighty ones
- Exodus 15:14 Anguish
- Exodus 15:23 Lit. Bitter
- Exodus 15:25 regulation
- Exodus 16:4 Lit. the portion of a day in its day
- Exodus 16:20 listen to
- Exodus 16:31 Lit. What? Ex. 16:15
- Exodus 17:4 Put me to death by stoning
- Exodus 17:7 Lit. Tempted
- Exodus 17:7 Lit. Contention
- Exodus 17:7 tested
- Exodus 17:12 Weary of being held up
- Exodus 17:15 Heb. YHWH Nissi
- Exodus 17:16 Lit. a hand is upon the throne of the Lord
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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