Parting the Red Sea
The LORD tells Moses to stop crying out, command Israel forward, and stretch out his hand over the sea. He also says Egypt will follow into the divided waters, and through that judgment the Egyptians will know that He is the LORD.
T15hen the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen. 18The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
The angel of God and the pillar move behind Israel, standing between the two camps through the night. Then the LORD parts the sea by a strong east wind, and Israel enters dry ground between walls of water.
19And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them, 20so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So all night long neither camp went near the other. 21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, 22and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
Egypt pursues Israel into the sea, but at morning watch the LORD throws the Egyptian camp into confusion. Their movement breaks down, and they recognize that the LORD is fighting for Israel.
23And the Egyptians chased after them— all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen— and followed them into the sea. 24At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion. 25He caused their chariot wheels to wobble, so that they had difficulty driving. “Let us flee from the Israelites,” said the Egyptians, “for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!”
At the LORD's word Moses stretches out his hand again, and the sea returns as Egypt retreats. The waters cover Pharaoh's army completely, while Israel comes through the sea alive on dry ground.
26Then 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.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the LORD swept them into the sea. 28The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen — the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. 29But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
That day the LORD saves Israel from Egypt, and the people see their enemies dead on the shore. Seeing His great power, they fear the LORD and believe in Him and in Moses His servant.
30That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore. 31When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.