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Exodus 13:17-15:26
English Standard Version
Exodus 13:17-15:26
English Standard Version
Pillars of Cloud and Fire
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did (A)not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people (B)change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 18 But God (C)led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph[a] had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, (D)“God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 20 And (E)they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 And (F)the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
Crossing the Red Sea
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to (G)turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between (H)Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4 And (I)I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will (J)get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, (K)and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the (L)mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7 and took (M)six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 And (N)the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while (O)the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9 The (P)Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them (Q)encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel (R)cried out to the Lord. 11 They (S)said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what (T)we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, (U)“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For (V)the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 (W)The Lord will fight for you, and you have only (X)to be silent.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 (Y)Lift up your staff, and (Z)stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And (AA)I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and (AB)I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians (AC)shall know that I am the Lord, (AD)when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 (AE)Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night[b] without one coming near the other all night.
21 Then Moses (AF)stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by (AG)a strong east wind all night and (AH)made the sea dry land, and the waters were (AI)divided. 22 And (AJ)the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being (AK)a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging[c] their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the (AL)Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, (AM)“Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 (AN)So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea (AO)returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord (AP)threw[d] the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The (AQ)waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, (AR)not one of them remained. 29 But the (AS)people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 Thus the Lord (AT)saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 (AU)Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they (AV)believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
The Song of Moses
15 Then Moses and the people of Israel (AW)sang this song to the Lord, saying,
(AX)“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider[e] he has thrown into the sea.
2 (AY)The Lord is my strength and my (AZ)song,
and he has become (BA)my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
(BB)my father's God, and (BC)I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is (BD)a man of war;
(BE)the Lord is his name.
4 (BF)“Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
and his chosen (BG)officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The (BH)floods covered them;
they (BI)went down into the depths like a stone.
6 (BJ)Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,
your right hand, O Lord, (BK)shatters the enemy.
7 In the (BL)greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
you send out your fury; it (BM)consumes them like stubble.
8 At the (BN)blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
the (BO)floods stood up in a heap;
the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, (BP)‘I will pursue, I will overtake,
I (BQ)will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
10 You (BR)blew with your wind; the (BS)sea covered them;
they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 (BT)“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in (BU)glorious deeds, (BV)doing wonders?
12 You stretched out (BW)your right hand;
the earth swallowed them.
13 “You have (BX)led in your steadfast love the people whom (BY)you have redeemed;
you have (BZ)guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
14 (CA)The peoples have heard; they tremble;
pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Now are the chiefs of Edom (CB)dismayed;
trembling seizes the leaders of (CC)Moab;
(CD)all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
16 Terror and (CE)dread fall upon them;
because of the greatness of your arm, they are still (CF)as a stone,
till your people, O Lord, pass by,
till the people pass by whom (CG)you have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and (CH)plant them on your own mountain,
the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode,
(CI)the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
18 (CJ)The Lord will reign forever and ever.”
19 For when (CK)the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, (CL)the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. 20 Then (CM)Miriam (CN)the prophetess, the (CO)sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and (CP)all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:
(CQ)“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Bitter Water Made Sweet
22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of (CR)Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to (CS)Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah.[f] 24 And the people (CT)grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he (CU)cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log,[g] and he (CV)threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord[h] made for them a statute and a rule, and there he (CW)tested them, 26 saying, (CX)“If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the (CY)diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, (CZ)your healer.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 13:19 Samaritan, Septuagint; Hebrew he
- Exodus 14:20 Septuagint and the night passed
- Exodus 14:25 Or binding (compare Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac); Hebrew removing
- Exodus 14:27 Hebrew shook off
- Exodus 15:1 Or its chariot; also verse 21
- Exodus 15:23 Marah means bitterness
- Exodus 15:25 Or tree
- Exodus 15:25 Hebrew he
Exodus 13:17-15:26
New International Version
Exodus 13:17-15:26
New International Version
Crossing the Sea
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”(A) 18 So God led(B) the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.[a] The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.(C)
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph(D) with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”[b](E)
20 After leaving Sukkoth(F) they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.(G) 21 By day the Lord went ahead(H) of them in a pillar of cloud(I) to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left(J) its place in front of the people.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol(K) and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.(L) 3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,(M) and he will pursue them.(N) But I will gain glory(O) for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”(P) So the Israelites did this.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,(Q) Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds(R) about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots,(S) along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart(T) of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.(U) 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses(V) and chariots, horsemen[c] and troops(W)—pursued the Israelites and overtook(X) them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.(Y)
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried(Z) out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?(AA) What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”(AB)
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.(AC) Stand firm and you will see(AD) the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see(AE) again. 14 The Lord will fight(AF) for you; you need only to be still.”(AG)
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?(AH) Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff(AI) and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water(AJ) so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts(AK) of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.(AL) And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(AM) when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
19 Then the angel of God,(AN) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud(AO) also moved from in front and stood behind(AP) them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness(AQ) to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand(AR) over the sea,(AS) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind(AT) and turned it into dry land.(AU) The waters were divided,(AV) 22 and the Israelites went through the sea(AW) on dry ground,(AX) with a wall(AY) of water on their right and on their left.
23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen(AZ) followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud(BA) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.(BB) 25 He jammed[d] the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting(BC) for them against Egypt.”(BD)
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.(BE) The Egyptians were fleeing toward[e] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.(BF) 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.(BG) Not one of them survived.(BH)
29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,(BI) with a wall(BJ) of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved(BK) Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand(BL) of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared(BM) the Lord and put their trust(BN) in him and in Moses his servant.
The Song of Moses and Miriam
15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song(BO) to the Lord:
“I will sing(BP) to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(BQ)
he has hurled into the sea.(BR)
2 “The Lord is my strength(BS) and my defense[f];
he has become my salvation.(BT)
He is my God,(BU) and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt(BV) him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;(BW)
the Lord is his name.(BX)
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army(BY)
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.[g]
5 The deep waters(BZ) have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.(CA)
6 Your right hand,(CB) Lord,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand,(CC) Lord,
shattered(CD) the enemy.
7 “In the greatness of your majesty(CE)
you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;(CF)
it consumed(CG) them like stubble.
8 By the blast of your nostrils(CH)
the waters piled up.(CI)
The surging waters stood up like a wall;(CJ)
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.(CK)
9 The enemy boasted,
‘I will pursue,(CL) I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;(CM)
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.’
10 But you blew with your breath,(CN)
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.(CO)
11 Who among the gods
is like you,(CP) Lord?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,(CQ)
awesome in glory,(CR)
working wonders?(CS)
12 “You stretch out(CT) your right hand,
and the earth swallows your enemies.(CU)
13 In your unfailing love you will lead(CV)
the people you have redeemed.(CW)
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.(CX)
14 The nations will hear and tremble;(CY)
anguish(CZ) will grip the people of Philistia.(DA)
15 The chiefs(DB) of Edom(DC) will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,(DD)
the people[h] of Canaan will melt(DE) away;
16 terror(DF) and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stone(DG)—
until your people pass by, Lord,
until the people you bought[i](DH) pass by.(DI)
17 You will bring(DJ) them in and plant(DK) them
on the mountain(DL) of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,(DM)
the sanctuary,(DN) Lord, your hands established.
18 “The Lord reigns
for ever and ever.”(DO)
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[j] went into the sea,(DP) the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.(DQ) 20 Then Miriam(DR) the prophet,(DS) Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels(DT) and dancing.(DU) 21 Miriam sang(DV) to them:
“Sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(DW)
he has hurled into the sea.”(DX)
The Waters of Marah and Elim
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert(DY) of Shur.(DZ) For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.(EA) 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.[k](EB)) 24 So the people grumbled(EC) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”(ED)
25 Then Moses cried out(EE) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw(EF) it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.
There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.(EG) 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep(EH) all his decrees,(EI) I will not bring on you any of the diseases(EJ) I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals(EK) you.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 13:18 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Exodus 13:19 See Gen. 50:25.
- Exodus 14:9 Or charioteers; also in verses 17, 18, 23, 26 and 28
- Exodus 14:25 See Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint and Syriac; Masoretic Text removed
- Exodus 14:27 Or from
- Exodus 15:2 Or song
- Exodus 15:4 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 22
- Exodus 15:15 Or rulers
- Exodus 15:16 Or created
- Exodus 15:19 Or charioteers
- Exodus 15:23 Marah means bitter.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.