the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood upon the lintel and on the two

door posts, he will pass over the door and will not let the destroyer

come into your houses to destroy you. You and your children shall

observe this event as a custom forever.



"When your children shall say to you, 'What do you mean by this

service?' you shall say, 'It is the sacrifice of the passover of

Jehovah, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, when

he destroyed the Egyptians and released our people.'"



Then the people bowed their heads and worshipped; and the Israelites

went and did as Jehovah had commanded Moses and Aaron.



At midnight Jehovah destroyed all the eldest sons in the land of Egypt,

from the eldest son of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the eldest son

of the captive who was in prison. Then Pharaoh arose in the night,

together with all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a

great cry of sorrow, for there was not a house in Egypt in which there

was not one dead. Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron at night and said, "Go

away from among my people, both you and the Israelites; go, worship

Jehovah as you have asked. Also take with you your sheep and your

cattle, as you have asked, go and ask a blessing for me also." The

Egyptians also told the people to hasten out of the land, for they said,

"We shall all perish." So the people took their dough before the yeast

had worked, and their kneading-troughs were bound up in their clothes

upon their shoulders.



The Israelites went on foot from Rameses to Succoth; and a mixed

multitude went with them, and they had a great many flocks and herds.

They baked unraised cakes of the dough which they had brought with them

from Egypt, for there was no yeast in it, because they had been driven

out of Egypt and could not wait, neither had they prepared for

themselves any food for the journey.



And they went from Succoth and camped at Etham on the border of the

wilderness. Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to

show them the way, and at night in a pillar of fire, to give them light,

that they might march both by day and by night; the pillar of cloud by

day and the pillar of fire at night stayed in front of the people.



When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the feeling of

Pharaoh and his servants toward them was changed, and they said, "Why

have we done this and let the Israelites escape from serving us?" So he

made ready his chariot and took his people with him. He also took six

hundred chosen chariots and the rest of the chariots of Egypt with

captains over all of them; and Jehovah let the heart of Pharaoh, king of

Egypt, remain stubborn, so that he followed the Israelites, because they

had defied him.



When Pharaoh drew near to them the Israelites looked up and saw the

Egyptians marching after them; and they were very much afraid and cried

to Jehovah. And they said to Moses, "Why have you misled us by bringing

us out of Egypt? Is not this what we told you in Egypt, when we said,

'Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it is better for us

to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.'" But Moses said

to the people, "Do not be frightened, remain quiet and you will see how

Jehovah will save you to-day; for as surely as you now see the Egyptians

you shall never see them again. Jehovah will fight for you, and you are

to keep still."



Then the angel of God who went before the army of Israel changed his

position and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also changed its

position from in front of them and stood behind them, coming between the

army of the Egyptians and the army of the Israelites. On the one side

the cloud was dark and on the other side it lighted up the night, so

that throughout all the night neither army came near the other.



Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Jehovah by means of

a strong east wind caused the sea to go back all that night and made the

bed of the sea dry. And the Israelites crossed over on the dry bed of

the sea. The Egyptians followed and all of Pharaoh's horses, his

chariots, and his horsemen went after them into the sea. In the morning

before sunrise, Jehovah looked out through the pillar of fire and of

cloud upon the army of the Egyptians and threw them into confusion. He

also bound their chariot wheels, so that they dragged heavily. Therefore

the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the Israelites, for Jehovah fights

for them against us."



Then Jehovah said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that

the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and

upon their horsemen." So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and

toward morning the sea returned to its ordinary level while the

Egyptians were flying before it. So Jehovah overthrew the Egyptians in

the midst of the sea, and the waters returned and covered the chariots

and the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that went after them into

the sea, so that not one of them was left. Thus Jehovah saved the

Israelites that day from the power of the Egyptians; and they saw the

Egyptians dead upon the seashore. When the Israelites saw the great work

which Jehovah did to the Egyptians, the people feared Jehovah and

believed in him and in his servant Moses.



And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her

hand; and as all the women followed her with tambourines and with

dancing, she sang with them:



"Sing to Jehovah, for he has triumphed gloriously:

Both horse and rider has he hurled into the sea."



Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to Jehovah:



"I will sing to Jehovah, for he has triumphed gloriously:

Both horse and rider he has hurled into the sea.

Jehovah is my strength and song, he has delivered me;

He is my God, I will praise him; my father's God whom I honor."