Crossing the Red Sea

The children of Israel camped beside the sea, just as the Lord had told Moses. Pharaoh changed his mind about letting them go. He came after them with his chariots, horsemen and army. When the Israelites saw the Egyptians coming, they were very afraid. They cried to the Lord and complained to Moses.

Moses told the people not to be afraid. He said they would see the Lord save them. Then the Lord told Moses to have the people go forward. The angel of God and the pillar of cloud moved behind Israel, standing between them and the Egyptians through the night.

Moses stretched his hand over the sea. The Lord sent a strong east wind all night. The sea became dry land, and the waters were divided. The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, with water on their right and left.

The Egyptians followed them into the sea. In the morning, the Lord troubled the Egyptian army, and their chariots had trouble moving. After Israel had crossed, Moses stretched out his hand again. The waters returned over the pursuing Egyptian army, and the Egyptians who had followed Israel into the sea died.

That day the Lord saved Israel from Egypt. The people saw what the Lord had done, feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and Moses his servant.

Israel had recently left Egypt, where the people had lived under slavery. The Lord directed them to camp beside the sea. Pharaoh and his servants regretted letting Israel go, so Pharaoh prepared his chariot and pursued them with six hundred chosen chariots, all the other chariots of Egypt, horsemen and an army.

When the Israelites saw the Egyptians approaching, they were terrified. They cried to the Lord and complained to Moses that they had been brought into the wilderness to die. Moses answered that they should not fear. He told them to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, and that the Lord would fight for them.

The Lord then told Moses to command the people to go forward. The angel of God and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of Israel to behind them. The cloud stood between the two camps, bringing darkness to one side and light by night to the other, so the Egyptians did not come near Israel during the night.

Moses stretched his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind all night and made the seabed dry. The waters were divided, and the children of Israel crossed on dry ground with the waters like a wall on their right and left.

The Egyptians pursued them into the sea. During the morning watch, the Lord troubled the Egyptian host and made their chariots move heavily. The Egyptians recognized that the Lord was fighting for Israel and tried to flee.

After Israel had crossed, the Lord told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea again. The waters returned, covering the pursuing chariots, horsemen and army. The pursuing Egyptian force died in the returning waters. Israel, however, had crossed on dry ground.

Exodus says that the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians. The people saw his great work, feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and Moses his servant. The rescue also answered Pharaoh's attempt to take the people back into bondage: Israel was no longer trapped between Pharaoh's army and the sea.