26Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water comes back and covers the Egyptians, their chariots, and their cavalry."27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. At daybreak, the sea returned to its normal depth. The Egyptians were driving toward it, and the LORD tossed the Egyptians into the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the cavalry, Pharaoh's entire army that had followed them into the sea. Not one of them remained. 29The Israelites, however, walked on dry ground through the sea. The waters formed a wall for them on their right hand and on their left.
30The LORD rescued Israel from the Egyptians that day. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31Israel saw the amazing power of the LORD against the Egyptians. The people were in awe of the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.
Moses' victory song
Exodus 15Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
I will sing to the LORD, for an overflowing victory!
Horse and rider he threw into the sea!
2The LORD is my strength and my power;v
he has become my salvation.
This is my God, whom I will praise,
the God of my ancestors, whom I will acclaim.
3The LORD is a warrior;
the LORD is his name.
4Pharaoh's chariots and his army he hurled into the sea;
his elite captains were sunk in the Reed Sea.w
5The deep sea covered them;
they sank into the deep waters like a stone.
6Your strong hand, LORD, is dominant in power;
your strong hand, LORD, shatters the enemy!
7With your great surge you overthrow your opponents;
you send out your hot anger; it burns them up like straw.
8With the breath of your nostrils the waters swelled up,
the floods surged up in a great wave;
the deep waters foamed in the depths of the sea.
9The enemy said, "I'll pursue, I'll overtake,
I'll divide the spoils of war.
I'll be overfilled with them.
I'll draw my sword; my hand will destroy them."
10You blew with your wind; the sea covered over them.
They sank like lead in the towering waters.
11Who is like you among the gods, LORD?
Who is like you, foremost in holiness,
worthy of highest praise, doing awesome deeds?
12You raised your strong hand;
earth swallowed them up.
13With your great loyalty you led the people you rescued;
with your power you guided them to your sanctuary.
14The peoples heard, they shook in terror;
horror grabbed hold of Philistia's inhabitants.
15Then Edom's tribal chiefs were terrified;
panic grabbed hold of Moab's rulers;
all of Canaan's inhabitants melted in fear.
16Terror and fear came over them;
because of your great power,
they were as still as a stone
until your people, LORD, passed by,
until the people you made your own passed by.
17You brought them in and planted them on your own mountain,
the place, LORD, that you made your home,
the sanctuary, LORD, that your hand created.
18The LORD will rule forever and always.
19When Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and cavalry went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.
Miriam's victory song
20Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand. All the women followed her playing tambourines and dancing. 21Miriam sang the refrain back to them:
Sing to the LORD, for an overflowing victory!
Horse and rider he threw into the sea!
Turning bitter water sweet
22Then Moses had Israel leave the Reed Seax and go out into the Shur desert. They traveled for three days in the desert and found no water. 23When they came to Marah, they couldn't drink Marah's water because it was bitter. That's why it was called Marah.y 24The people complained against Moses, "What will we drink?"25Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD pointed out a tree to him. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
The LORD made a regulation and a ruling there, and there he tested them. 26The LORD said, "If you are careful to obey the LORD your God, do what God thinks is right, pay attention to his commandments, and keep all of his regulations, then I won't bring on you any of the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians. I am the LORD who heals you."
27Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They camped there by the water.
Wilderness food: manna and quail
Exodus 16The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Sin desert, which is located between Elim and Sinai. They set out on the fifteenth day of the second monthz after they had left the land of Egypt. 2The whole Israelite community complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. 3The Israelites said to them, "Oh, how we wish that the LORD had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Instead, you've brought us out into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death."
4Then the LORD said to Moses, "I'm going to make bread rain down from the sky for you. The people will go out each day and gather just enough for that day. In this way, I'll test them to see whether or not they follow my Instruction. 5On the sixth day, when they measure out what they have collected, it will be twice as much as they collected on other days."6So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7And in the morning you will see the LORD's glorious presence, because your complaints against the LORD have been heard. Who are we? Why blame us?"8Moses continued, "The LORD will give you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning because the LORD heard the complaints you