過紅海
1耶和華對摩西說： 2「你吩咐以色列人改變方向，在比·哈希錄附近的海邊紮營，在紅海和密奪之間，對面是巴力·洗分。 3法老必定以為你們走迷了路，被困在曠野。 4我要使法老的心剛硬，使他派兵追趕你們。我要在法老和埃及軍兵身上得到榮耀，好叫埃及人知道我是耶和華。」於是，以色列人依言而行。
5有人向埃及王報信，說以色列百姓逃走了。法老和他的臣僕便改變主意，說：「我們怎麼可以讓以色列人就這樣離開我們，不再服侍我們呢？」 6法老便吩咐人預備戰車，他親自領軍， 7率領埃及所有的戰車，包括六百輛最精銳的戰車，每輛車上都有戰車長。 8耶和華使法老的心剛硬，法老就追趕毫無懼色地離開埃及的以色列人。 9埃及大軍的戰車騎兵傾巢而出，沿著海邊追趕，在巴力·洗分對面的比·哈希錄附近追上了正在那裡安營的以色列人。
10以色列人看見法老大軍追了上來，非常害怕，便呼求耶和華。 11他們對摩西說：「難道埃及沒有墳地，要你帶我們出來死在曠野嗎？為什麼要帶我們離開埃及呢？ 12我們對你說過，別管我們，就讓我們服侍埃及人吧。服侍埃及人總比死在曠野好啊！」 13摩西對百姓說：「你們不用害怕，站穩了，看耶和華用什麼方法解救你們。你們再也看不到你們今天看到的埃及人了。 14耶和華必為你們爭戰，你們要保持鎮靜。」 15耶和華對摩西說：「為什麼向我呼求呢？吩咐以色列人往前走吧。 16你舉手向海伸出手杖，把海水分開，以色列人可以從中間的乾地走過去。 17我要使埃及人的心剛硬，他們會緊追不捨，跟著你們走進海底。我要在法老及其大軍、戰車和騎兵身上得到榮耀。 18當我在法老及其戰車和騎兵身上得到榮耀時，埃及人就知道我是耶和華。」
19這時，在以色列人前面領路的上帝的天使，轉到百姓後面，雲柱也隨著移到後面立住。 20雲柱停在埃及軍隊和以色列人的中間，埃及軍隊這邊一片黑暗，以色列人那邊卻有光，雙方整夜都無法接近對方。
21摩西向海伸出手，耶和華便整夜用強勁的東風吹退海水，將海底變成乾地。海水分開後， 22以色列人踏著乾地走入海中，海水如兩道牆立在他們左右。 23法老的軍兵車馬緊追不捨，都跟著下到海中。 24到了破曉時分，耶和華從雲柱火柱中俯視埃及軍隊，擾亂他們的隊伍。 25祂使他們戰車的輪子脫落，難以前行。於是，埃及人說：「我們逃命吧，因為耶和華在幫助以色列人對付我們！」
26耶和華對摩西說：「你向海伸出手，使海水回流，淹沒埃及軍隊。」 27天剛亮的時候，摩西向海伸出手，海水便復原。埃及人紛紛向岸上逃命，耶和華卻使大水把他們捲回海中。 28海水回流，法老的戰車和人馬都淹沒在大海之中，全軍覆沒。 29全體以色列人卻在乾地上走過紅海，海水在他們兩邊築成水牆。 30那天，耶和華就這樣從埃及人手中拯救了以色列人。後來，以色列人還看見埃及人的屍體橫在海邊。 31以色列百姓親眼看見耶和華怎樣以大能對付埃及人，他們就敬畏耶和華，又信服祂和祂的僕人摩西。
1Then the Lord spoke to Moses. 2He said, “Tell the people of Israel to turn back. Have them camp near Pi Hahiroth between Migdol and the Red Sea. They must camp by the sea, right across from Baal Zephon. 3Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land. They don’t know which way to go. The desert is all around them.’ 4I will make Pharaoh stubborn. He will chase them. But I will gain glory for myself because of what will happen to Pharaoh and his whole army. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites camped by the Red Sea.
5The king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped. Then Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them. They said, “What have we done? We’ve let the people of Israel go! We’ve lost our slaves and all the work they used to do for us!” 6So he had his chariot made ready. He took his army with him. 7He took 600 of the best chariots in Egypt. He also took along all the other chariots. Officers were in charge of all of them. 8The Lord made Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, stubborn. So he chased the Israelites as they were marching out boldly. 9The Egyptians went after the Israelites. All Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen and troops chased them. They caught up with the Israelites as they camped by the sea. The Israelites were near Pi Hahiroth, across from Baal Zephon.
10As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked back. There were the Egyptians marching after them! The Israelites were terrified. They cried out to the Lord. 11They said to Moses, “Why did you bring us to the desert to die? Weren’t there any graves in Egypt? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12We told you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians.’ It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here in the desert!”
13Moses answered the people. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm. You will see how the Lord will save you today. Do you see those Egyptians? You will never see them again. 14The Lord will fight for you. Just be still.”
15Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people of Israel to move on. 16Hold out your walking stick. Reach out your hand over the Red Sea to divide the water. Then the people can go through the sea on dry ground. 17I will make the Egyptians stubborn. They will go in after the Israelites. I will gain glory for myself because of what will happen to Pharaoh, his army, chariots and horsemen. 18The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. I will gain glory because of what will happen to Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
19The angel of God had been traveling in front of Israel’s army. Now he moved back and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved away from in front of them. Now it stood behind them. 20It came between the armies of Egypt and Israel. All through the night the cloud brought darkness to one side and light to the other. Neither army went near the other all night long.
21Then Moses reached out his hand over the Red Sea. All that night the Lord pushed the sea back with a strong east wind. He turned the sea into dry land. The waters were divided. 22The people of Israel went through the sea on dry ground. There was a wall of water on their right side and on their left.
23The Egyptians chased them. All Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24Near the end of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud. He saw the Egyptian army and threw it into a panic. 25He jammed the wheels of their chariots. That made the chariots hard to drive. The Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for Israel against Egypt.”
26Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Reach out your hand over the sea. The waters will flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27So Moses reached out his hand over the sea. At sunrise the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians tried to run away from the sea. But the Lord swept them into it. 28The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen. It covered the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the people of Israel into the sea. Not one of the Egyptians was left.
29But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground. There was a wall of water on their right side and on their left. 30That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of Egypt. The Israelites saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31The Israelites saw the amazing power the Lord showed against the Egyptians. So the Israelites had great respect for the Lord and put their trust in him. They also put their trust in his servant Moses.
