The Egyptian army started to pursue the Israelis

5 When someone told the king that the Israeli people had left during the night, he and his officials changed their minds and said, “◄What have we done?/What we have done was stupid!► [RHQ] The Israeli people will no longer be our slaves!” 6 So the king got his chariot and his army ready. 7 Then he selected 600 of the best chariots, and in each chariot he placed a driver, a soldier, and a commander, and they left. Other chariots, with a driver and a soldier in each of them, also went along. 8 Because Yahweh made the king of Egypt so stubborn that he and his army went to pursue the Israelis, who were leaving triumphantly, 9 the Egyptian army, with all the king’s horses and chariots and horsemen, pursued the Israelis. They caught up with them as they were camped near the sea, close to Pi-Hahiroth, in front of Baal-Zephon town.

10 When the king’s army got near, the Israeli people were surprised to see that the Egyptians were marching toward them. They were terrified; so they cried out to Yahweh to help them. 11 Then they said to Moses/me, “Is it because there were no places in Egypt where we could be buried that you have brought us here to die in this desert [RHQ]? Look what you have done to us by bringing us out of Egypt [RHQ]! 12 That is what we told you when we were in Egypt! We said, ‘Leave us alone, and let us work for the Egyptians [RHQ]!’ It would have been better for us to be slaves for the Egyptians than to die here in the desert!”

13 Moses/I replied to the people, “Do not be afraid! Be brave, and see how Yahweh will rescue you! He will save you today, and the result will be that the Egyptians that you are looking at today—you will never see them again! 14 Yahweh will fight for you! Just keep quiet. There is nothing else that you will have to do.”