The paths of Yehovah open at the appointed time
Where impossibility stands before us, our Father acts in power
A Brief Insight
Yehovah led Israel through the wilderness to prevent them from returning to Egypt out of fear of war. Moses carried with him the bones of Yosef, honoring a promise made generations earlier. Yehovah protected His people with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When Pharaoh pursued them, God divided the Red Sea so Israel crossed on dry ground, while the Egyptians were drowned. In the wilderness, Yehovah provided sweet water and manna, testing the obedience of His people and establishing the Shabbath, teaching them to depend on Him daily and to walk in faith even in the midst of scarcity.
Read the Story as Told in Scripture
17And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not by the way of the land of the P’lishtim, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: 18but God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness by the Sea of Suf: and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt. 19And Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. 20And they took their journey from Sukkot, and encamped in Etam, in the edge of the wilderness. 21And Yehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; that they might go by day and by night: 22the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, departed not from before the people.
14 And Yehovah spake unto Moshe, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pi-Hachirot, between Migdol and the sea, before Ba’al-Tz’fon: over against it shall ye encamp by the sea. 3And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host: and the Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah. And they did so. 5And it was told the king of Egypt that the people were fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed towards the people, and they said, What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them. 8And Yehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: for the children of Israel went out with a high hand. 9And the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-Hachirot, before Ba’al-Tz’fon.
10And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto Yehovah. 11And they said unto Moshe, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to bring us forth out of Egypt? 12Is not this the word that we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. 13And Moshe said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of Yehovah, which he will work for you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14Yehovah will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
15And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. 16And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. 17And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them: and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18And the Egyptians shall know that I am Yehovah, when I have gotten me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 19And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud removed from before them, and stood behind them: 20and it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud and the darkness, yet gave it light by night: and the one came not near the other all the night.
21And Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea; and Yehovah caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 23And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24And it came to pass in the morning watch, that Yehovah looked forth upon the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians. 25And he took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavily; so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for Yehovah fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
26And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Stretch out thy hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27And Moshe stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and Jehovah overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even all the host of Pharaoh that went in after them into the sea; there remained not so much as one of them. 29But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 30Thus Yehovah saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. 31And Israel saw the great work which Yehovah did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared Yehovah: and they believed in Yehovah, and in his servant Moshe.
15 Then sang Moshe and the children of Israel this song unto Yehovah, and spake, saying,
I will sing unto Yehovah, for he hath triumphed gloriously:
The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
2Yehovah is my strength and song,
And he is become my salvation:
This is my God, and I will praise him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt him.
3Yehovah is a man of war:
Yehovah is his name.
4Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea;
And his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea.
5The deeps cover them:
They went down into the depths like a stone.
6Thy right hand, O Yehovah, is glorious in power,
Thy right hand, O Yehovah, dasheth in pieces the enemy.
7And in the greatness of thine excellency thou overthrowest them that rise up against thee:
Thou sendest forth thy wrath, it consumeth them as stubble.
8And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were piled up,
The floods stood upright as a heap;
The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.
9The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil;
My desire shall be satisfied upon them;
I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
10Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them:
They sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11Who is like unto thee, O Yehovah, among the gods?
Who is like thee, glorious in holiness,
Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12Thou stretchedst out thy right hand,
The earth swallowed them.
13Thou in thy lovingkindness hast led the people that thou hast redeemed:
Thou hast guided them in thy strength to thy holy habitation.
14The peoples have heard, they tremble:
Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.
15Then were the chiefs of Edom dismayed;
The mighty men of Moab, trembling taketh hold upon them:
All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away.
16Terror and dread falleth upon them;
By the greatness of thine arm they are as still as a stone;
Till thy people pass over, O Yehovah,
Till the people pass over that thou hast purchased.
17Thou wilt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance,
The place, O Yehovah, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in,
The sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
18Yehovah shall reign for ever and ever.
19For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Yehovah brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea. 20And Miryam the prophetess, the sister of Aharon, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21And Miryam answered them,
Sing ye to Yehovah, for he hath triumphed gloriously;
The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
22And Moshe led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah [bitterness]. 24And the people murmured against Moshe, saying, What shall we drink? 25And he cried unto Jehovah; and Yehovah showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them; 26and he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Yehovah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am Yehovah that healeth thee.
27And they came to Elim, where were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
16 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Seen, which is between Eilim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. 2And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moshe and against Aharon in the wilderness: 3and the children of Israel said unto them, Would that we had died by the hand of Yehovah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
4Then said Yehovah unto Moshe, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. 5And it shall come to pass on the sixth day, that they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. 6And Moshe and Aharon said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that Jehovah hath brought you out from the land of Egypt; 7and in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of Yehovah; for that he heareth your murmurings against Jehovah: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? 8And Moshe said, This shall be, when Yehovah shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that Yehovah heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against Yehovah. 9And Moshe said unto Aharon, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before Yehovah; for he hath heard your murmurings. 10And it came to pass, as Aharon spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of Yehovah appeared in the cloud. 11And Yehovah spake unto Moshe, saying, 12I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread: and ye shall know that I am Yehovah your God.
13And it came to pass at even, that the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the camp. 14And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness a small round thing, small as the hoar-frost on the ground. 15And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, What is it? for they knew not what it was. And Moshe said unto them, It is the bread which Yehovah hath given you to eat. 16This is the thing which Yehovah hath commanded, Gather ye of it every man according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, shall ye take it, every man for them that are in his tent. 17And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some more, some less. 18And when they measured it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19And Moshe said unto them, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moshe; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and became foul: and Moshe was wroth with them.
21And they gathered it morning by morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 22And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moshe. 23And he said unto them, This is that which Yehovah hath spoken, To-morrow is a solemn rest, a holy sabbath unto Yehovah: bake that which ye will bake, and boil that which ye will boil; and all that remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24And they laid it up till the morning, as Moshe bade: and it did not become foul, neither was there any worm therein. 25And Moshe said, Eat that to-day; for to-day is a sabbath unto Yehovah: to-day ye shall not find it in the field. 26Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day is the Shabbat, in it there shall be none. 27And it came to pass on the seventh day, that there went out some of the people to gather, and they found none. 28And Yehovah said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? 29See, for that Jehovah hath given you the Shabbat, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 30So the people rested on the seventh day.
31And the house of Israel called the name thereof manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32And Moshe said, This is the thing which Yehovah hath commanded, Let an omerful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread wherewith I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. 33And Moshe said unto Aharon, Take a pot, and put an omerful of manna therein, and lay it up before Yehovah, to be kept throughout your generations. 34As Yehovah commanded Moshe, so Aharon laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. 35And the children of Israel did eat the manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat the manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Kena’an. 36Now an ‘omer is one-tenth of an eifah.
17 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, by their journeys, according to the commandment of Yehovah, and encamped in Refidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 2Wherefore the people strove with Moshe, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moshe said unto them, Why strive ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt Yehovah? 3And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moshe, and said, Wherefore hast thou brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 4And Moshe cried unto Yehovah, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they are almost ready to stone me. 5And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Pass on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thy hand, and go. 6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moshe did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah, and M’rivah, because of the striving of the children of Israel, and because they tempted Yehovah, saying, Is Yehovah among us, or not?
8Then came ‘Amalek, and fought with Israel in Refidim. 9And Moshe said unto Y’hoshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with ‘Amalek: to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. 10So Y’hoshua did as Moshe had said to him, and fought with ‘Amalek: and Moshe, Aharon, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11And it came to pass, when Moshe held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, ‘Amalek prevailed. 12But Moshe’s hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aharon and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13And Y’hoshua discomfited ‘Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Y’hoshua: that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of ‘Amalek from under heaven. 15And Moshe built an altar, and called the name of it Yehovah-Nissi; 16And he said, Yehovah hath sworn: Yehovah will have war with ‘Amalek from generation to generation.
4Now D’vorah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidot, she judged Israel at that time. 5And she dwelt under the palm-tree of D’vorah between Ramah and Beit-El in the hill-country of Efrayim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6And she sent and called Barak the son of Avino’am out of Kedesh in Naftali, and said unto him, Hath not Yehovah, the God of Israel, commanded, saying, Go and draw unto mount Tavor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naftali and of the children of Z’vulun? 7And I will draw unto thee, to the river Kishon, Sisra, the captain of Yavin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thy hand. 8And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, I will not go. 9And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding, the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor; for Yehovah will sell Sisra into the hand of a woman. And D’vorah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10And Barak called Z’vulun and Naftali together to Kedesh; and there went up ten thousand men at his feet: and D’vorah went up with him.
11Now Hever the Keini had separated himself from the Keinim, even from the children of Hovav the brother-in-law of Moshe, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Tza’ananim, which is by Kedesh. 12And they told Sisra that Barak the son of Avino’am was gone up to mount Tavor. 13And Sisra gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Haroshet-HaGoyim, unto the river Kishon. 14And D’vorah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which Yehovah hath delivered Sisra into thy hand; is not Yehovah gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tavor, and ten thousand men after him. 15And Yehovah discomfited Sisra, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisra alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet. 16But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Haroshet-HaGoyim: and all the host of Sisra fell by the edge of the sword; there was not a man left.
17Howbeit Sisra fled away on his feet to the tent of Ya’el the wife of Hever the Keini; for there was peace between Yavin the king of Hatzor and the house of Hever the Keini. 18And Ya’el went out to meet Sisra, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And he turned in unto her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 20And he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No. 21Then Ya’el Hever’s wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died. 22And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisra, Ya’el came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And he came unto her; and, behold, Sisra lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples.
23So God subdued on that day Javin the king of Kena’an before the children of Israel. 24And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Javin the king of Kena’an, until they had destroyed Javin king of Kena’an.
5 Then sang D’vorah and Barak the son of Avinoam on that day, saying,
2For that the leaders took the lead in Israel,
For that the people offered themselves willingly,
Bless ye Yehovah.
3Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes;
I, even I, will sing unto Yehovah;
I will sing praise to Yehovah, the God of Israel.
4Yehovah, when thou wentest forth out of Seir,
When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom,
The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped,
Yea, the clouds dropped water.
5The mountains quaked at the presence of Yehovah,
Even yon Sinai at the presence of Yehovah, the God of Israel.
6In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,
In the days of Ya’el, the highways were unoccupied,
And the travellers walked through byways.
7The rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased,
Until that I D’vorah arose,
That I arose a mother in Israel.
8They chose new gods;
Then was war in the gates:
Was there a shield or spear seen
Among forty thousand in Israel?
9My heart is toward the governors of Israel,
That offered themselves willingly among the people:
Bless ye Yehovah.
10Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses,
Ye that sit on rich carpets,
And ye that walk by the way.
11Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water,
There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of Yehovah,
Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel.
Then the people of Yehovah went down to the gates.
12Awake, awake, D’vorah;
Awake, awake, utter a song:
Arise, Barak, and lead away thy captives, thou son of Avino’am.
13Then came down a remnant of the nobles and the people;
Yehovah came down for me against the mighty.
14Out of Efrayim came down they whose root is in ‘Amalek;
After thee, Binyamin, among thy peoples;
Out of Makhir came down governors,
And out of Z’vulun they that handle the marshal’s staff.
15And the princes of Yissakhar were with D’vorah;
As was Yissakhar, so was Barak;
Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet.
By the watercourses of Re’uben
There were great resolves of heart.
16Why sattest thou among the sheepfolds,
To hear the pipings for the flocks?
At the watercourses of Re’uben
There were great searchings of heart.
17Gil’ad abode beyond the Yarden:
And Dan, why did he remain in ships?
Asher sat still at the haven of the sea,
And abode by his creeks.
18Z’vulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death,
And Naftali, upon the high places of the field.
19The kings came and fought;
Then fought the kings of Canaan.
In Ta’anakh by the waters of Megiddo:
They took no gain of money.
20From heaven fought the stars,
From their courses they fought against Sisra.
21The river Kishon swept them away,
That ancient river, the river Kishon.
O my soul, march on with strength.
22Then did the horsehoofs stamp
By reason of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones.
23Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of Yehovah.
Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof,
Because they came not to the help of Yehovah,
To the help of Yehovah against the mighty.
24Blessed above women shall Ya’el be,
The wife of Hever the Keini;
Blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25He asked water, and she gave him milk;
She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
26She put her hand to the tent-pin,
And her right hand to the workmen’s hammer;
And with the hammer she smote Sisra, she smote through his head;
Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples.
27At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay;
At her feet he bowed, he fell;
Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
28Through the window she looked forth, and cried,
The mother of Sisra cried through the lattice,
Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29Her wise ladies answered her,
Yea, she returned answer to herself,
30Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil?
A damsel, two damsels to every man;
To Sisra a spoil of dyed garments,
A spoil of dyed garments embroidered,
Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?
31So let all thine enemies perish, O Yehovah:
But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.
And the land had rest forty years.
22And straightway he constrained the disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side, till he should send the multitudes away. 23And after he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray: and when even was come, he was there alone. 24But the boat was now in the midst of the sea, distressed by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25And in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea. 26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear. 27But straightway Yeshua spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28And Kefa answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters. 29And he said, Come. And Kefa went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Yeshua. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. 31And immediately Yeshua stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
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