1. Then the Lord spoke to Moses:
2. “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you must camp in front of Baal-zephon, facing it by the sea.
3. Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.
4. I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” So the Israelites did this.
5. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said: “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”
6. So he got his chariot ready and took his troops with him;