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Exodus 13-15
New Life Version
Exodus 13-15
New Life Version
The First-Born Given to God
13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Set apart to Me every first-born male. The first-born male among the people of Israel, and the first-born male animal are Mine.”
Special Supper of Bread without Yeast
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the land where you were made to stay and work. For the Lord brought you out of this place by a powerful hand. No bread made with yeast will be eaten. 4 This day you are about to go out, in the month of Abib. 5 And the Lord will bring you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He promised to your fathers to give you. It is a land flowing with milk and honey. There you will do this act of worship in this month. 6 For seven days you will eat bread without yeast. On the seventh day there will be a special supper to the Lord. 7 Bread without yeast will be eaten for seven days. Nothing made with yeast will be seen among you. No yeast will be seen among you in all your country. 8 You will say to your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 It will be a special mark on your hand and on your forehead to make people remember, that the Law of the Lord is to be in your mouth. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a powerful hand. 10 So you must keep this Law at the time given for it from year to year.
The First-Born
11 “The Lord will bring you to the land of the Canaanite. He will give it to you as He promised you and your fathers. 12 There you must give to the Lord the first male to be born. And all the first male animals born belong to the Lord. 13 But you may buy every first-born donkey by giving a lamb for it. But if you do not buy it, then you must break its neck. You must buy with a gift of money every first-born male among your sons. 14 And when the time comes when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ then say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the land where we were servants. 15 When Pharaoh would not let us go, the Lord killed every first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and of animal. So I give to the Lord every first male animal to be born. But I buy with a gift of money every first-born of my sons.’ 16 So it will be like a special mark on your hand and on your forehead. For the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand.”
Cloud by Day and Fire by Night
17 When Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even when that was nearer. For God said, “The people may change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people through the desert to get to the Red Sea. The people of Israel went out of the land of Egypt ready for war. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the people of Israel promise. He had said, “For sure God will keep you and you will carry my bones with you from here.” 20 Then they left Succoth and set up their tents at Etham, beside the desert. 21 The Lord went before them, in a pillar of cloud during the day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire during the night to give them light. So they could travel day and night. 22 The pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire during the night did not leave the people.
Crossing the Red Sea
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the people of Israel to turn around and set up their tents in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Set up your tents in front of Baal-zephon, beside the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They have lost their way. The desert has shut them in.’ 4 I will make Pharaoh’s heart hard. And he will try to catch them. So I will be honored through Pharaoh and his whole army. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had left, Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about the people. They said, “What is this we have done? We have let Israel go from working for us.” 6 So he made his war-wagon ready and took his people with him. 7 He took 600 of the best war-wagons, and all the other war-wagons of Egypt in the care of leaders. 8 The Lord made the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt hard. And Pharaoh went to catch the people of Israel, who were leaving without fear. 9 The Egyptians followed them with all the horses and war-wagons of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army. And they came to them at their tents by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
10 When Pharaoh came near, the people of Israel looked and saw the Egyptians coming after them. And they were filled with fear and cried out to the Lord. 11 Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert? What have you done to us, in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Did we not tell you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here.”
13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Be strong, and see how the Lord will save you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you. All you have to do is keep still.”
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to keep going. 16 Lift up your special stick and put out your hand over the sea, and divide it. Then the people of Israel will go through the sea on dry land. 17 I will make the Egyptians’ hearts hard, so they will go after them. And I will be honored through Pharaoh and his whole army, his war-wagons and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I am honored through Pharaoh, his war-wagons and his horsemen.” 19 Then the Angel of God, who had been going in front of the army of Israel, moved and went behind them. The cloud moved from the front of them and stood behind them. 20 It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. There was the cloud and the darkness, yet it gave light at night. And the one army did not come near the other all night. 21 Then Moses put out his hand over the sea. And the Lord moved the sea all night by a strong east wind. So the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went through the sea on dry land. The waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left. 23 Then the Egyptians followed them. All Pharaoh’s horses and war-wagons and horsemen went in the sea after them. 24 In the morning hours, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army through the fire and cloud. And He made the Egyptian army afraid. 25 He made the wheels of their war-wagons come off, so it was hard for the wagons to be moved. So the Egyptians said, “Let us run away from Israel. For the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand over the sea. And the waters will flow over the Egyptians, and over their war-wagons and their horsemen.” 27 And when the morning came, the Egyptians ran into the wall of water as the sea returned to the way it was before. The Lord destroyed the Egyptians in the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the war-wagons and the horsemen and Pharaoh’s whole army that had gone in the sea after them. Not even one of them was left. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry land through the sea. The waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left.
30 So the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead beside the sea. 31 Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians. And the people had fear of the Lord. They believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.
15 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for He is praised for His greatness. He has thrown the horse and horseman into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and song. He is the One Who saves me. He is my God and I will praise Him. He is my father’s God and I will honor Him. 3 The Lord is a fighter. The Lord is His name. 4 He has thrown Pharaoh’s war-wagons and army into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s leaders are under the Red Sea. 5 The water covers them. They went down in the deep water like a stone. 6 O Lord, Your right hand is great in power. O Lord, Your right hand destroys those who hate You. 7 In the greatness of Your power You destroy those who fight against You. You send Your burning anger and it burns them like straw. 8 The waters were lifted up by Your breath. The flowing waters stood up like a wall. The water became hard in the middle of the sea. 9 Those who hated us said, ‘I will go after them. I will catch them. I will divide the riches taken from them. My soul will have its way against them. I will take out my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ 10 You, Lord, blew with Your wind and the sea covered them. They went down like iron in the powerful sea. 11 Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, great and holy, praised in fear, doing powerful works? 12 You put out Your right hand, and the earth swallowed them. 13 You have led with loving-kindness the people You have made free. You have led them in Your strength to Your holy place. 14 The nations have heard of it, and they shake in fear. Pain has come upon the people of Philistia. 15 Now the leaders of Edom are afraid. The leaders of Moab shake in fear. All the people of Canaan have become weak. 16 Much fear comes upon them. They see Your strength, O Lord. They are afraid and do not move until Your people have passed by, the people You have bought and made free. 17 You will bring them in and put them on Your own mountain. It is the place, O Lord, where You have made Your house, the holy place, which Your hands have built. 18 The Lord will rule forever and ever.”
19 For Pharaoh’s horses and war-wagons and horsemen went in the sea. The Lord brought the waters of the sea upon them. But the people of Israel walked on dry land through the sea. 20 Then Aaron’s sister Miriam, the woman who spoke for the Lord, took a timbrel in her hand. And all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam said to them, “Sing to the Lord, for He is praised for His greatness. He has thrown the horse and horseman into the sea.”
Bitter Water
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea. They went into the Desert of Shur. They went three days in the desert and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. So it was given the name Marah. 24 The people complained to Moses, saying, “What can we drink?” 25 Moses cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord made a Law for them and tested them. 26 He said, “Listen well to the voice of the Lord your God. Do what is right in His eyes. Listen to what He tells you, and obey all His Laws. If you do this, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord Who heals you.”
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy trees. They set up their tents there beside the water.
Exodus 13-15
New International Version
Exodus 13-15
New International Version
Consecration of the Firstborn
13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me every firstborn male.(A) The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,(B) out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand.(C) Eat nothing containing yeast.(D) 4 Today, in the month of Aviv,(E) you are leaving. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites,(F) Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites(G)—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey(H)—you are to observe this ceremony(I) in this month: 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival(J) to the Lord. 7 Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8 On that day tell your son,(K) ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand(L) and a reminder on your forehead(M) that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.(N) 10 You must keep this ordinance(O) at the appointed time(P) year after year.
11 “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites(Q) and gives it to you, as he promised on oath(R) to you and your ancestors,(S) 12 you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord.(T) 13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey,(U) but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.(V) Redeem(W) every firstborn among your sons.(X)
14 “In days to come, when your son(Y) asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.(Z) 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’(AA) 16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead(AB) that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”
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.”(AC) 18 So God led(AD) the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.[a] The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.(AE)
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph(AF) 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](AG)
20 After leaving Sukkoth(AH) they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.(AI) 21 By day the Lord went ahead(AJ) of them in a pillar of cloud(AK) 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(AL) 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(AM) and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.(AN) 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,(AO) and he will pursue them.(AP) But I will gain glory(AQ) for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”(AR) So the Israelites did this.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,(AS) Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds(AT) 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,(AU) along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart(AV) of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.(AW) 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses(AX) and chariots, horsemen[c] and troops(AY)—pursued the Israelites and overtook(AZ) them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.(BA)
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried(BB) 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?(BC) 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!”(BD)
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.(BE) Stand firm and you will see(BF) the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see(BG) again. 14 The Lord will fight(BH) for you; you need only to be still.”(BI)
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?(BJ) Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff(BK) and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water(BL) so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts(BM) of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.(BN) 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(BO) when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
19 Then the angel of God,(BP) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud(BQ) also moved from in front and stood behind(BR) them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness(BS) 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(BT) over the sea,(BU) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind(BV) and turned it into dry land.(BW) The waters were divided,(BX) 22 and the Israelites went through the sea(BY) on dry ground,(BZ) with a wall(CA) of water on their right and on their left.
23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen(CB) followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud(CC) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.(CD) 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(CE) for them against Egypt.”(CF)
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.(CG) The Egyptians were fleeing toward[e] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.(CH) 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.(CI) Not one of them survived.(CJ)
29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,(CK) with a wall(CL) of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved(CM) 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(CN) of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared(CO) the Lord and put their trust(CP) in him and in Moses his servant.
The Song of Moses and Miriam
15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song(CQ) to the Lord:
“I will sing(CR) to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(CS)
he has hurled into the sea.(CT)
2 “The Lord is my strength(CU) and my defense[f];
he has become my salvation.(CV)
He is my God,(CW) and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt(CX) him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;(CY)
the Lord is his name.(CZ)
4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army(DA)
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.[g]
5 The deep waters(DB) have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.(DC)
6 Your right hand,(DD) Lord,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand,(DE) Lord,
shattered(DF) the enemy.
7 “In the greatness of your majesty(DG)
you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;(DH)
it consumed(DI) them like stubble.
8 By the blast of your nostrils(DJ)
the waters piled up.(DK)
The surging waters stood up like a wall;(DL)
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.(DM)
9 The enemy boasted,
‘I will pursue,(DN) I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;(DO)
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.’
10 But you blew with your breath,(DP)
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.(DQ)
11 Who among the gods
is like you,(DR) Lord?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,(DS)
awesome in glory,(DT)
working wonders?(DU)
12 “You stretch out(DV) your right hand,
and the earth swallows your enemies.(DW)
13 In your unfailing love you will lead(DX)
the people you have redeemed.(DY)
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.(DZ)
14 The nations will hear and tremble;(EA)
anguish(EB) will grip the people of Philistia.(EC)
15 The chiefs(ED) of Edom(EE) will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,(EF)
the people[h] of Canaan will melt(EG) away;
16 terror(EH) and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stone(EI)—
until your people pass by, Lord,
until the people you bought[i](EJ) pass by.(EK)
17 You will bring(EL) them in and plant(EM) them
on the mountain(EN) of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,(EO)
the sanctuary,(EP) Lord, your hands established.
18 “The Lord reigns
for ever and ever.”(EQ)
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[j] went into the sea,(ER) the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.(ES) 20 Then Miriam(ET) the prophet,(EU) Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels(EV) and dancing.(EW) 21 Miriam sang(EX) to them:
“Sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(EY)
he has hurled into the sea.”(EZ)
The Waters of Marah and Elim
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert(FA) of Shur.(FB) For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.(FC) 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](FD)) 24 So the people grumbled(FE) against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”(FF)
25 Then Moses cried out(FG) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw(FH) 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.(FI) 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(FJ) all his decrees,(FK) I will not bring on you any of the diseases(FL) I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals(FM) you.”
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped(FN) there near the water.
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.
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