Exodus

Exodus 15

The Song at the Sea

1 Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to God, and they said:

Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously glorified;

horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.

2 He became my helper and my shelter; he became my rescue.

This is my God, and I will glorify him —

my father’s God, and I will lift him high.

3 The Lord who shatters wars — the Lord is his name.

4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he threw into the sea;

his chosen riders, his captains, he sank in the Red Sea.

5 The deep covered them;

they went down into the depths like a stone.

6 Your right hand, Lord, is glorified in strength;

your right hand, Lord, has shattered enemies.

7 And in the greatness of your glory you broke your adversaries in pieces;

you sent out your anger, and it ate them like stubble.

8 And by the breath of your fury the water stood apart;

the waters were set hard like a wall;

the waves were set hard in the middle of the sea.

9 The enemy said: I will chase, I will overtake,

I will divide the spoil, I will fill my soul;

I will kill with my sword, my hand will master them.

10 You sent out your wind, the sea covered them;

they sank like lead in the mighty water.

11 Who is like you among the gods, Lord?

Who is like you — glorified in holiness,

wonderful in glories, doing marvels?

12 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.

13 You led in your righteousness this people of yours, whom you ransomed;

by your strength you called them on to your holy resting place.

14 The nations heard and were angry;

birth-pangs took hold of those living in Philistia.

15 Then the leaders of Edom hurried, and the rulers of the Moabites;

trembling took hold of them;

all who live in Canaan melted away.

16 Let fear and trembling fall on them;

by the greatness of your arm let them turn to stone,

until your people pass by, Lord,

until this people of yours pass by, the people you bought.

17 Bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance,

in the place you made ready to live in, which you made, Lord —

the sanctuary, Lord, that your hands prepared.

18 The Lord reigns forever, and ever, and beyond.

19 For Pharaoh’s cavalry went into the sea with the chariots and the riders, and the Lord brought the water of the sea back over them; but the children of Israel walked through on dry ground in the middle of the sea. 20 And Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the hand-drum in her hand, and all the women went out after her with hand-drums and dancing. 21 And Miriam led them, saying:

Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously glorified;

horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.

Bitter Water

22 Then Moses led the children of Israel on from the Red Sea and brought them into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water to drink. 23 And they came to Marah, and they could not drink the water of Marah, for it was bitter. That is why the name of that place was called Bitterness. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 And Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood; and he threw it into the water, and the water turned sweet. There he set rules and judgments for them, and there he tested them, 26 and he said, “If you will really listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what pleases him, and give your ear to his commands and keep all his rules, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.” 27 And they came to Elim, and there were twelve springs of water there and seventy palm trees; and they camped there beside the water.