Day 20 – Crossing the Red Sea

₁₇When the king of Egypt let the people go, God did not take them by the road that goes up the coast to Philistia, although it was the shortest way. God thought, “I do not want the people to change their minds and return to Egypt when they see that they are going to have to fight.” ₁₈Instead, he led them in a roundabout way through the desert towards the Red Sea. The Israelites were armed for battle.

₁₉Moses took the body of Joseph with him, as Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly promise to do. Joseph had said, “When God rescues you, you must carry my body with you from this place.”

₂₀The Israelites left Sukkoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. ₂₁During the day the LORD went in front of them in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and during the night he went in front of them in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel night and day. ₂₂The pillar of cloud was always in front of the people during the day, and the pillar of fire at night.

₁Then the LORD said to Moses, ₂“Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the Red Sea, near Baal Zephon. ₃The king will think that the Israelites are wandering about in the country and are closed in by the desert. ₄I will make him stubborn, and he will pursue you, and my victory over the king and his army will bring me honour. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” The Israelites did as they were told.

₅When the king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped, he and his officials changed their minds and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites escape, and we have lost them as our slaves!” ₆The king got his war chariot and his army ready. ₇He set out with all his chariots, including the 600 finest, commanded by their officers. ₈The LORD made the king stubborn, and he pursued the Israelites, who were leaving triumphantly. ₉The Egyptian army, with all the horses, chariots, and drivers, pursued them and caught up with them where they were camped by the Red Sea near Pi Hahiroth and Baal Zephon.

₁₀When the Israelites saw the king and his army marching against them, they were terrified and cried out to the LORD for help. ₁₁They said to Moses, “Weren't there any graves in Egypt? Did you have to bring us out here in the desert to die? Look what you have done by bringing us out of Egypt! ₁₂Didn't we tell you before we left that this would happen? We told you to leave us alone and let us go on being slaves of the Egyptians. It would be better to be slaves there than to die here in the desert.”

₁₃Moses answered, “Don't be afraid! Stand your ground, and you will see what the LORD will do to save you today; you will never see these Egyptians again. ₁₄The LORD will fight for you, and there is no need for you to do anything.”

₁₅The LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out for help? Tell the people to move forward. ₁₆Lift up your stick and hold it out over the sea. The water will divide, and the Israelites will be able to walk through the sea on dry ground. ₁₇I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go in after them, and I will gain honour by my victory over the king, his army, his chariots, and his drivers. ₁₈When I defeat them, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”

₁₉The angel of God, who had been in front of the army of Israel, moved and went to the rear. The pillar of cloud also moved until it was ₂₀between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud made it dark for the Egyptians, but gave light to the people of Israel, and so the armies could not come near each other all night.

₂₁Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind. It blew all night and turned the sea into dry land. The water was divided, ₂₂and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on both sides. ₂₃The Egyptians pursued them and went after them into the sea with all their horses, chariots, and drivers. ₂₄Just before dawn the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. ₂₅He made the wheels of their chariots get stuck, so that they moved with great difficulty. The Egyptians said, “The LORD is fighting for the Israelites against us. Let's get out of here!”

₂₆The LORD said to Moses, “Hold out your hand over the sea, and the water will come back over the Egyptians and their chariots and drivers.” ₂₇So Moses held out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the water returned to its normal level. The Egyptians tried to escape from the water, but the LORD threw them into the sea. ₂₈The water returned and covered the chariots, the drivers, and all the Egyptian army that had followed the Israelites into the sea; not one of them was left. ₂₉But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on both sides.

₃₀On that day the LORD saved the people of Israel from the Egyptians, and the Israelites saw them lying dead on the seashore. ₃₁When the Israelites saw the great power with which the LORD had defeated the Egyptians, they stood in awe of the LORD; and they had faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses.