The Exodus and the Crossing of the Sea

1 When the king of Egypt was dead, another king arose and afflicted all the people of Israel. But they cried out to the Lord, and he heard them and sent Moses and delivered them out of the land of Egypt. God also sent upon the Egyptians 10 plagues and struck them. These were the plagues: blood, frogs, all kinds of flies, hail, the death of cattle, locusts, gnats, darkness that could be felt, and the death of the firstborn. 2 When they had gone out from there and were on their way, the heart of the Egyptians was hardened yet again, and they continued to pursue them and found them by the Red Sea. The children of Israel cried out to their God and said to Moses, “The time of our destruction has come, for the sea is in front of us and the multitude of enemies behind us, and we are in the middle. Was it for this that God brought us out? Are these the covenants he made with our fathers, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give the land where you dwell’? Now let him do with us what seems good in his sight.” 3 Then the children of Israel split their counsels into three, because of the fear of that moment.⁠a The tribes of Ruben, Isachar, Zabulon, and Symeon said, “Come, let us throw ourselves into the sea, for it is better for us to die in the water than to be killed by our enemies.” The tribes of Gad, Aser, Dan, and Neptalim said, “No, let us go back with them, and if they will spare our lives, we will serve them.” But the tribes of Levi, Juda, Joseph, and Benjamin said, “Not so; let us take up our weapons and fight them, and God will be with us.” 4 Moses also cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord God of our fathers, did you not say to me, ‘Go and tell the sons of Lia, God has sent me to you’? And now you have brought your people to the edge of the sea, and the enemy is following after them; but you, Lord, remember your name.” 5 God said, “Because you have cried out to me, take your rod and strike the sea, and it will be dried up.” When Moses did all this, God rebuked the sea, and the sea was dried up;⁠b the waters stood still and the depths of the earth appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare⁠c at the sound of the fear of God and at the breath of the anger of the Lord. 6 Israel crossed over on dry land in the middle of the sea. The Egyptians saw and went on pursuing them, and God hardened their minds, and they did not realize that they were entering the sea. So while the Egyptians were in the sea, God commanded the sea once again and said to Moses, “Strike the sea once more.” And he did so. The Lord commanded the sea, and it returned to its waves and covered the Egyptians and their chariots and their horsemen, to this day. 7 But as for his own people, he led them out into the wilderness. For forty years he rained bread from heaven for them, and he brought them quail from the sea, and he brought out for them a well of water that followed them.⁠d In a pillar of cloud he led them by day, and in a pillar of fire by night he gave them light.