Through the Bible – Day 25

₃₇The Israelites walked from the city of Rameses to the city of Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand of them, not counting women and children. ₃₈Many other people went with them as well, and there were also a lot of sheep, goats, and cattle. ₃₉They left Egypt in such a hurry that they did not have time to prepare any food except the bread dough made without yeast. So they baked it and made thin bread.

_40-41The LORD's people left Egypt exactly four hundred and thirty years after they had arrived. ₄₂On that night the LORD kept watch for them, and on this same night each year Israel will always keep watch in honour of the LORD.

₄₃The LORD gave Moses and Aaron the following instructions for celebrating Passover:

₅₀The Israelites obeyed everything the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron to tell them. ₅₁And on that same day the LORD brought Israel's families and tribes out of Egypt.

₁The LORD said to Moses, ₂“Dedicate to me the firstborn son of every family and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. These belong to me.”

_3-4Moses said to the people:

₁₇After the king had finally let the people go, the LORD did not lead them through Philistine territory, though that was the shortest way. God had said, “If they are attacked, they may decide to return to Egypt.” ₁₈So he led them around through the desert and towards the Red Sea.

The Israelites left Egypt, prepared for battle.

₁₉Moses made them take along the bones of Joseph, whose dying words had been, “God will come to your rescue, and when he does, be sure to take along my bones.”

₂₀The people of Israel left Succoth and camped at Etham at the border of Egypt near the desert. _21-22During the day the LORD went ahead of his people in a thick cloud, and during the night he went ahead of them in a flaming fire. That way the LORD could lead them at all times, whether day or night.

₁At Etham the LORD said to Moses:

The Israelites obeyed the LORD and camped where he told them.

₅When the king of Egypt heard that the Israelites had finally left, he and his officials changed their minds and said, “Look what we have done! We let them get away, and they will no longer be our slaves.”

₆The king got his war chariot and army ready. ₇He commanded his officers in charge of his six hundred best chariots and all his other chariots to start after the Israelites. ₈The LORD made the king so stubborn that he went after them, even though the Israelites proudly went on their way. ₉But the king's horses and chariots and soldiers caught up with them while they were camping by the Red Sea near Pi-Hahiroth and Baal-Zephon.

₁₀When the Israelites saw the king coming with his army, they were frightened and begged the LORD for help. ₁₁They also complained to Moses, “Wasn't there enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway? ₁₂While we were there, didn't we tell you to leave us alone? We would rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!”

₁₃But Moses answered, “Don't be afraid! Be brave, and you will see the LORD save you today. These Egyptians will never bother you again. ₁₄The LORD will fight for you, and you won't have to do a thing.”

₁₅The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you keep calling out to me for help? Tell the Israelites to move forward. ₁₆Then hold your walking stick over the sea. The water will open up and make a road where they can walk through on dry ground. ₁₇I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go after you. Then I will be praised because of what happens to the king and his chariots and cavalry. ₁₈The Egyptians will know for sure that I am the LORD.”

₁₉All this time God's angel had gone ahead of Israel's army, but now he moved behind them. A large cloud had also gone ahead of them, ₂₀but now it moved between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud gave light to the Israelites, but made it dark for the Egyptians, and during the night they could not come any closer.

₂₁Moses stretched his arm over the sea, and the LORD sent a strong east wind that blew all night until there was dry land where the water had been. The sea opened up, ₂₂and the Israelites walked through on dry land with a wall of water on each side.

₂₃The Egyptian chariots and cavalry went after them. ₂₄But before daylight the LORD looked down at the Egyptian army from the fiery cloud and made them panic. ₂₅Their chariot wheels got stuck, and it was hard for them to move. So the Egyptians said to one another, “Let's leave these people alone! The LORD is on their side and is fighting against us.”

₂₆The LORD told Moses, “Stretch your arm towards the sea—the water will cover the Egyptians and their cavalry and chariots.” ₂₇Moses stretched out his arm, and at daybreak the water rushed towards the Egyptians. They tried to run away, but the LORD drowned them in the sea. ₂₈The water came and covered the chariots, the cavalry, and the whole Egyptian army that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them was left alive. ₂₉But the sea had made a wall of water on each side of the Israelites; so they walked through on dry land.

₃₀On that day, when the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the shore, they knew that the LORD had saved them. ₃₁Because of the mighty power he had used against the Egyptians, the Israelites worshipped him and trusted him and his servant Moses.

₂₁Jesus left and went to the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon. ₂₂Suddenly a Canaanite woman from there came out shouting, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is full of demons.” ₂₃Jesus did not say a word. But the woman kept following along and shouting, so his disciples came up and asked him to send her away.

₂₄Jesus said, “I was sent only to the people of Israel! They are like a flock of lost sheep.”

₂₅The woman came closer. Then she knelt down and begged, “Please help me, Lord!”

₂₆Jesus replied, “It isn't right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs.”

₂₇“Lord, that's true,” the woman said, “but even dogs get the crumbs that fall from their owner's table.”

₂₈Jesus answered, “Dear woman, you really do have a lot of faith, and you will be given what you want.” At that moment her daughter was healed.

₂₉From there, Jesus went along Lake Galilee. Then he climbed a hill and sat down. ₃₀Large crowds came and brought many people who were crippled or blind or lame or unable to talk. They placed them, and many others, in front of Jesus, and he healed them all. ₃₁Everyone was amazed at what they saw and heard. People who had never spoken could now speak. The lame were healed, the crippled could walk, and the blind were able to see. Everyone was praising the God of Israel.

₃₂Jesus called his disciples together and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and they don't have anything to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry. They might faint on their way home.”

₃₃His disciples said, “This place is like a desert. Where can we find enough food to feed such a crowd?”

₃₄Jesus asked them how much food they had. They replied, “Seven small loaves of bread and a few little fish.”

₃₅After Jesus had told the people to sit down, ₃₆he took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks. He then broke them and handed them to his disciples, who passed them around to the crowds.

₃₇Everyone ate all they wanted, and the leftovers filled seven large baskets.

₃₈There were four thousand men who ate, not counting the women and children.

₃₉After Jesus had sent the crowds away, he got into a boat and sailed across the lake. He came to shore near the town of Magadan.