18. “The Lord will rule forever and ever!”
19. Yes, it really happened! Pharaoh’s horses and riders, and chariots went into the sea. And the Lord brought all the water of the sea down on top of them. But the Israelites walked through that sea on dry land.
20. Then Aaron’s sister, the woman prophet Miriam, took a tambourine. She and the women began singing and dancing.
21. Miriam repeated the words, “Sing to the Lord! He has done great things. He threw horse and rider into the sea ….”
22. Moses led the Israelites away from the Red Sea and into the desert of Shur. They traveled for three days in the desert. They could not find any water.
23. Then they came to Marah. There was water at Marah, but it was too bitter to drink. (That is why the place was named Marah.)
24. The people began complaining to Moses. They said, “Now what will we drink?”
25. So Moses called to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a large piece of wood. When Moses put the wood in the water, the water became good to drink. There the Lord put in place a law and a command for him and tested him to see if he would obey.
26. He said to him, “I am the Lord your God. If you listen to me and do what I say is right, and if you obey all my commands and laws, then I will not give you any of the sicknesses that I gave the Egyptians. I am the Lord who heals you.”
27. Then the people traveled to Elim. At Elim there were twelve springs of water and 70 palm trees. So the people made their camp there near that water.