17. You will lead your people and place themon your very own mountain.Lord, that is the place that you made for yourself to live.Lord, that is the temple that your hands have made.
18. The Lord will rule forever!”
19. The horses, chariot drivers and chariots of the king of Egypt went into the sea. And the Lord covered them with water from the sea. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry land.
20. Then Aaron’s sister Miriam, who was a prophetess, took a tambourine in her hand. All the women followed her, playing tambourines and dancing.
21. Miriam told them:“Sing to the Lordbecause he is worthy of great honor.He has thrown the horse and its riderinto the sea.”
22. Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea. The people went into the Desert of Shur. They traveled for three days in the desert but found no water.
23. Then they came to Marah, where there was water. But they could not drink it because it was too bitter. That is why the place was named Marah.
24. The people grumbled to Moses. They asked, “What will we drink?”
25. Moses cried out to the Lord. So the Lord showed him a tree. Moses threw the tree into the water. And the water became good to drink.There the Lord gave the people a rule and a law to live by. There he also tested their loyalty to him.
26. He said, “You must obey the Lord, your God. You must do what the Lord said is right. You must obey all his laws and keep his rules. If you do these things, I will not give you any of the sicknesses I gave the Egyptians. I am the Lord. I am the Lord who heals you.”
27. Then the people traveled to Elim. At Elim there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees. So the people camped there near the water.