1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
God said to Moses,
Tell the people to turn around and camp before Pihahiroth, between Migol and the sea, over against Baalzephon.
That way the Pharaoh will say, "The Israelites are trapped in the wilderness."
I will harden the Pharaoh's heart [1] so that he will follow after them.
I will be glorified and the Egyptians will know that I am God.
5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?
6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
So the Israelites camped where God told them to.
When the Pharaoh heard that the Israelites left, he got his chariot ready to follow them.
7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.
He took 600 chariots and chased after them.
8And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.
And God hardened the Pharaoh's heart. [2]
9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.
The Egyptians overtook the Israelites.
10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
And the Israelites were sore afraid and cried out to God.
11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
The Israelites complained to Moses, saying,
Did you bring us here because there weren't enough graves in Egypt?
It was better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here in the wilderness.
13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Moses said to the people
Don't be afraid. God will fight for you.
And you should shut your mouths.
15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
God said to Moses.
Don't talk to me. Talk to the people.
16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
Later you'll lift up your rod, stretch your hand over the sea, divide it, and the people will walk across it.
17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
I'll harden the hearts of the Egyptians [3], they'll follow the Israelites, and I'll drown them all. That way I'll get honor on myself.
18And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
And the Egyptians will know that I am God (when I have gotten me honor).
19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
An angel and a pillar of cloud go before the Israelites.
(It was a cloud of darkness to the Egyptians, but light for the Israelites.)
21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
Moses parted the sea with his hand and the Israelites walked across on dry land.
23And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
The Egyptians pursued the Israelites into the midst of the sea. [4]
24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
God saw the Egyptians through the fire and cloud pillars.
And he removed their chariot wheels. [5]
26And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
God said to Moses
Stretch out your hand out over the sea to make the waters come down and drown all of the Egyptians.
27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
28And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
So Moses stretched out his hand, and the sea returned to drown the Egyptian army. [6]
29But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
But the Israelites walked safely on dry land to the other side of the sea.
31And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
And when the Israelites saw the great work that God did on the Egyptians, they believed and feared God and Moses.
14:1-31