Exodus 14 · Parashat Beshalach

And the Lord spoke to Moshe, saying,

Speak to the children of Yisra᾽el, that they turn and encamp before Pi-haĥirot, between Migdol and the sea, over against Ba῾al-żefon: before it shall you encamp by the sea.

For Par῾o will say of the children of Yisra᾽el, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness has shut them in.

And I will harden Par῾o’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will gain honour by Par῾o, and by all his host; that Miżrayim may know that I am the Lord. And they did so.

And it was told the king of Miżrayim that the people had fled: and the heart of Par῾o and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Yisra᾽el go from serving us?

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

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

And the Lord hardened the heart of Par῾o king of Miżrayim, and he pursued after the children of Yisra᾽el: and the children of Yisra᾽el went out with a high hand.

And Miżrayim pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Par῾o, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-haĥirot, before Ba῾al-żefon.

And when Par῾o drew near, the children of Yisra᾽el lifted up their eyes, and, behold, Miżrayim marched after them; and they were very much afraid: and the children of Yisra᾽el cried out to the Lord.

And they said to Moshe, Because there were no graves in Miżrayim, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? why hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us out of Miżrayim?

Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Miżrayim, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve Miżrayim? For it had been better for us to serve Miżrayim, than that we should die in the wilderness.

And Moshe said to the people, Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show you today: for as you have seen Miżrayim this day, you shall not see them again any more for ever.

The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

And the Lord said to Moshe, Why dost thou cry to me? speak to the children of Yisra᾽el, that they go forward:

but lift up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Yisra᾽el shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

And I, behold I will harden the heart of Miżrayim, and they shall follow them: and I will gain honour by Par῾o, and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen.

And Miżrayim shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honour by Par῾o, by his chariots, and his horsemen.

And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Yisra᾽el, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

and it came between the camp of Miżrayim and the camp of Yisra᾽el; 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.

And Moshe 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.

And the children of Yisra᾽el went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground: and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

And Miżrayim pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Par῾o’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked to the camp of Miżrayim through the pillar of fire and of the cloud and brought confusion into the camp of Miżrayim.

And he took off their chariot wheels, that they drove heavily: so that Miżrayim said, Let us flee from the face of Yisra᾽el; for the Lord fights for them against Miżrayim.

And the Lord said to Moshe, Stretch out thy hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon Miżrayim, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

And Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and Miżrayim fled towards it; and the Lord overthrew Miżrayim in the midst of the sea.

And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Par῾o that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

But the children of Yisra᾽el walked on dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left.

Thus the Lord saved Yisra᾽el that day out of the hand of Miżrayim; and Yisra᾽el saw Miżrayim dead upon the sea shore.

And Yisra᾽el saw that great work which the Lord did upon Miżrayim: and the people feared the Lord, and believed in the Lord, and in his servant Moshe.