The LORD spoke to Moses, telling him to instruct the Israelites to turn back and camp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon. The plan was divine: Pharaoh would think they were trapped in confusion, hemmed in by the desert, and his hardened heart would lead him to pursue them. Through this, the LORD would gain glory over Pharaoh and his army, and Egypt would know that He alone is LORD.
When Pharaoh heard that the Israelites had fled, both he and his officials regretted releasing them. "What have we done?" they said. "We have let Israel go and lost their service!" At once, Pharaoh prepared his chariot and gathered his full army—six hundred of the finest chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, each with its officers. Strengthened in defiance by the LORD, Pharaoh chased after the Israelites, who marched out boldly. The Egyptians pursued with horses, chariots, horsemen, and troops until they overtook Israel camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth.
As Pharaoh's army drew near, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching against them. Terror gripped them, and they cried out to the LORD. In despair, they said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us here to die in the wilderness? What have you done by bringing us out of Egypt? Did we not tell you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better to serve them than to die here in the desert!"
But Moses answered with steadfast faith: "Do not be afraid. Stand firm, and you will see the salvation of the LORD today. The Egyptians you see now, you will never see again. The LORD Himself will fight for you—you need only to be still."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move forward. Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide it, so that My people may pass through on dry ground. I will again harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will follow. But through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen, I will be glorified. Then Egypt will know that I am the LORD."
The angel of God, who had been leading Israel's camp, moved behind them. The pillar of cloud that had gone before them now shifted to their rear, standing between Israel and Egypt. Throughout the night, the cloud brought darkness to one side and light to the other, so that neither army approached the other.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the waters back all night with a mighty east wind, turning the sea into dry land. The waters divided, rising like great walls to the right and to the left, and the Israelites passed through the midst on dry ground.
The Egyptians pursued them—Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen rushing into the sea after them. But during the last watch of the night, the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud upon the Egyptian army and threw them into confusion. Their chariot wheels became stuck and came off, making it hard for them to flee. In panic they cried, "Let us get away from Israel! The LORD fights for them against Egypt!"
Then the LORD commanded Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may return upon the Egyptians, their chariots, and their horsemen." Moses obeyed, and at daybreak the sea returned to its place. The Egyptians fled toward it, but the LORD swept them into the waters. The rushing waves closed over Pharaoh's entire army—his chariots and horsemen who had followed Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.
But the Israelites walked safely through the sea on dry ground, with towering walls of water to their right and to their left. That day, the LORD delivered Israel from the hands of the Egyptians. When the people saw the Egyptians lying lifeless on the shore, they knew the mighty power of the LORD. Fear and awe filled them, and they placed their trust in the LORD and in His servant Moses.