Trapped between the sea and Pharaoh's chariots, Israel says they would rather have stayed slaves. Moses tells them to stand still and watch our Father fight. The sea splits by an all-night east wind, Israel walks through, and the returning water takes the army that followed.
14 1 Then our Father said to Moses,
2 Tell the Israelites to turn back, camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon — camp by the sea, opposite it. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: 'They are lost in the land; the wilderness shuts them in.' 4 "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase them; I will gain glory through Pharaoh and his whole army, and Egypt will know I am the Father." And they did so. a a v4 When Scripture says our Father hardened Pharaoh's heart, it names his judgment on a king who had already hardened his own heart against him; Paul wrestles with this same mystery in Romans 9.
5 Told Egypt's king the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials turned against them: "What have we done, letting Israel go from serving us?" 6 So he harnessed his chariot and took his people with him. 7 He took six hundred chosen chariots, all the chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 Our Father hardened Pharaoh king of Egypt's heart, so he chased the Israelites marching out boldly. 9 Egypt pursued and overtook them camped by the sea—all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, horsemen, and army—near Pi-hahiroth, facing Baal-zephon.
10 As Pharaoh neared, Israel looked up and saw Egyptians closing in behind them. Terrified, they cried to our Father. 11 They told Moses, "Had Egypt no graves, that you took us to die in the wilderness? Why have you done this to us, bringing us out of Egypt?" 12 Didn't we tell you in Egypt: 'Stop bothering us, let us serve the Egyptians'? Serving them beats dying in the wilderness.
13 Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and see our Father save you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you'll never see again, ever." 14 Our Father will fight for you; you need only to be still."
15 Then our Father said to Moses, "Why cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to move forward." 16 Lift your staff, stretch your hand over the sea and split it; let the Israelites cross the sea's midst on dry ground. 17 I am hardening Egypt's heart, so they follow them in; I will gain glory through Pharaoh, his whole army, his chariots and his horsemen. 18 Egyptians will know I am the Father when I gain glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and horsemen.
19 The messenger of our Father, who went ahead of Israel's camp, moved behind them; the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20 It came between Egypt's camp and Israel's camp—cloud and darkness, yet it lit the night—and neither came near the other all night.
21 Moses stretched his hand over the sea. All night our Father drove it back with a strong east wind, making it dry land. The waters split. 22 The Israelites went into the sea's middle on dry ground, the waters a wall to them, right and left. 23 The Egyptians chased them into the middle of the sea—all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 Just before dawn, our Father looked down on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and cloud, throwing the Egyptian army into panic. 25 He clogged their wheels so they drove hard. The Egyptians said, "Let's flee Israel—God fights for them against Egypt!"
26 Then our Father said to Moses, "Stretch your hand over the sea so the waters return over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen."
27 Moses stretched his hand over the sea; by daybreak it returned to full depth. The Egyptians fled toward it, and our Father flung the Egyptians into the sea's midst. 28 The water returned and covered chariots and horsemen, all Pharaoh's army that chased them into the sea. None survived. 29 The Israelites walked through the sea's middle on dry ground, waters a wall on their right and left. 30 That day our Father saved Israel from Egypt's hand, and Israel saw Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power our Father used against Egypt; they feared him, and trusted him and his servant Moses.
