Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21
As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the
Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to
the LORD. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in
Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you
done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told
you in Egypt, 'Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians'? For it would
have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the
wilderness." But Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid, stand firm,
and see the deliverance that the LORD will accomplish for you today; for
the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The LORD will
fight for you, and you have only to keep still."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the
Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out
your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the
sea on dry ground. Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that
they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over
Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. And the
Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained glory for
myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers."
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went
behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took
its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of
Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the
night; one did not come near the other all night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea
back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land;
and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry
ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their
left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of
Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the
LORD in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army,
and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels
so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, "Let us flee
from the Israelites, for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that
the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and
chariot drivers." So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at
dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before
it, the LORD tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and
covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh
that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the
Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall
for them on their right and on their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the
Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the LORD
did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD and believed in
the LORD and in his servant Moses.
Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand;
and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.
And Miriam sang to them:
"Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea."
