Exodus 14 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses:

"Tell the Israelites to turn back and set up camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, facing Baal-zephon. Camp right there by the sea, across from it.

Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wandering around confused — the wilderness has trapped them.'

I will make Pharaoh stubborn again, and he will chase after them. But I will demonstrate my power through Pharaoh and his entire army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh." So that's what they did.

When the king of Egypt got word that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials had a change of heart about them. "What have we done?" they said. "We just let Israel walk away from serving us!"

So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him.

He took six hundred of his best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers in command of every one of them.

Yahweh made Pharaoh, king of Egypt, stubborn, and he chased after the Israelites as they marched out boldly.

The Egyptians chased after them—all of Pharaoh's horses and chariots, his horsemen and his army—and caught up with them as they camped by the sea, near Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

As Pharaoh got closer, the Israelites looked up and — there were the Egyptians, marching right at them. The people were absolutely terrified and cried out to Yahweh.

They said to Moses, "Was there not a single grave in Egypt? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, dragging us out of Egypt?

Isn't this exactly what we told you back in Egypt? We said, 'Leave us alone — let us keep serving the Egyptians.' It would have been better to serve them than to die out here in the wilderness!"

Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand your ground and watch — you're about to see Yahweh rescue you today. Those Egyptians you see right now? You will never see them again. Ever.

Yahweh will fight for you. All you have to do is be still."

Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to get moving!

Raise your staff and stretch your hand out over the sea. Split it open so the Israelites can walk right through the sea on dry ground.

And me? I'm going to make the Egyptians so stubborn that they'll charge in right after them. Then I will demonstrate my power through Pharaoh and his whole army, through his chariots and his horsemen.

The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I demonstrate my power through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling ahead of the Israelite camp, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud shifted from the front to the back,

positioning itself between the Egyptian army and the Israelite camp. The cloud brought darkness to one side but lit up the night on the other. So all night long, neither side could get near the other.

Then Moses stretched his hand out over the sea, and Yahweh drove the sea back with a powerful east wind that blew all night long, turning the sea floor into dry ground. The waters were split apart.

The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.

The Egyptians charged in after them—all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen—right into the middle of the sea.

During the last watch of the night, Yahweh looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud and threw them into a panic.

He jammed their chariot wheels so they could barely move. The Egyptians said, "Let's get out of here! Yahweh is fighting for Israel against us!"

Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch your hand out over the sea so that the water rushes back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and horsemen."

Moses stretched his hand out over the sea, and as dawn broke, the sea rushed back to its normal place. The Egyptians were trying to flee from it, but Yahweh swept them right into the sea.

The water rushed back and covered the chariots and horsemen — Pharaoh's entire army that had followed them into the sea. Not a single one of them survived.

But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.

That day, Yahweh rescued Israel from the power of Egypt, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.

When Israel saw the incredible display of power that Yahweh unleashed against the Egyptians, the people were filled with awe toward Yahweh. They put their trust in Yahweh and in his servant Moses.