Exodus

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

1The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

2Speak 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.

2"Tell the people of Israel to turn back. Have them camp by the sea near Pi-hahiroth. That place is between Migdol and the sea, across from Baal-zephon."

3For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

3"Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, will hear where you are. He will think, 'They are lost. The empty desert has them trapped.'"

4And 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.

4"I will make Pharaoh stubborn, and he will chase after them. Then everyone will see how strong I am. Pharaoh and his whole army will lose. The Egyptians will learn that I am the LORD." So Israel did what God said.

Note"Harden Pharaoh's heart" is an old way of saying God made Pharaoh stubborn, so he would not change his mind.

5And 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?

5Someone told the king of Egypt that the people had run away. Pharaoh and his helpers changed their minds. They said, "What have we done? We let Israel go. Now no one will work for us."

6And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:

6So Pharaoh got his chariot ready. A chariot is a small cart pulled by horses, used in war. He took his soldiers with him.

7And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.

7He took six hundred of his best chariots. He took all the other chariots of Egypt too. A leader rode in each one.

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.

8The LORD made Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, stubborn. So Pharaoh chased after the people of Israel. But Israel kept marching out, bold and unafraid.

9But 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.

9The Egyptians ran after them. All of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, riders, and soldiers came. They caught up to Israel camping by the sea, near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon.

10And 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.

10Pharaoh came close. The people of Israel looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them. They were very scared. They cried out to the LORD for help.

11And 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?

11They said to Moses, "Were there no graves in Egypt? Is that why you brought us out here to die? Why did you do this to us?"

12Is 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.

12"We told you this in Egypt. We said, 'Leave us alone. Let us work for the Egyptians.' It would be better to work for them than to die out here."

13And 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.

13Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand still and watch. Today you will see the LORD save you. You will never see these Egyptians again."

14The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

14"The LORD will fight for you. You only need to stay still and quiet."

Note"Hold your peace" does not mean feeling peaceful. It means to stay still and stop talking.

15And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

15Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people of Israel to move forward."

16But 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.

16"Hold up your walking stick. Reach your hand out over the sea. The water will split apart. Then the people of Israel can walk through on dry ground."

17And 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.

17"I will make the Egyptians stubborn, and they will follow you in. Then everyone will see how strong I am. Pharaoh, his army, his chariots, and his riders will lose."

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.

18"When that happens, the Egyptians will learn that I am the LORD."

19And 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:

19God's angel, his messenger, had been leading Israel's camp. Now the angel moved and went behind them. The tall cloud moved from the front and stood behind them too.

20And 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.

20The cloud came between the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp. It made darkness on one side. It gave light all night on the other side. So neither camp came near the other all night.

21And 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.

21Moses reached his hand out over the sea. The LORD sent a strong wind from the east all night long. The wind pushed the sea back and made the ground dry. The water split into two parts.

22And 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.

22The people of Israel walked into the sea on dry ground. The water stood up like a wall on their right and on their left.

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.

23The Egyptians chased after them into the middle of the sea. All of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and riders went in.

24And 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,

24In the dark hours just before sunrise, the LORD looked down at the Egyptian army. He looked from the tall pillar of fire and cloud. He filled the Egyptians with fear and confusion.

Note"The morning watch" was the last part of the night, just before the sun came up.

25And 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.

25He made their chariot wheels come loose, so the chariots were hard to drive. The Egyptians said, "Let's get away from Israel! The LORD is fighting for them against us!"

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.

26Then the LORD said to Moses, "Reach your hand out over the sea. The water will come back over the Egyptians, their chariots, and their riders."

27And 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.

27Moses reached his hand out over the sea. At sunrise the sea went back to its normal place. The Egyptians tried to run away from it. But the LORD swept them into the middle 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.

28The water came back and covered the chariots and the riders. It covered Pharaoh's whole army that had followed Israel into the sea. Not one of them lived.

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.

29But the people of Israel had walked on dry ground through the middle of the sea. The water had stood like a wall on their right and on their left.

30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.

30That day the LORD saved Israel from the Egyptians. Israel saw the dead Egyptians lying on the shore.

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.

31Israel saw the great thing the LORD did to the Egyptians. The people were filled with wonder and respect for the LORD. They trusted the LORD, and they trusted Moses, his servant.

Note"Feared the LORD" here means more than being scared. It means being amazed by God and treating him as great.