The canticle of Moses. The bitter waters of Mara are made sweet.

¹ Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and they said: “Let us sing to the Lord, for he has been gloriously magnified: the horse and the rider he has cast into the sea.

² The Lord is my strength and my praise, and he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I shall glorify him. He is the God of my father, and I shall exalt him.

³ The Lord is like a fighting man. Almighty is his name.

⁴ The chariots of Pharaoh, and his army, he has cast into the sea; his elect leaders have been submerged in the Red Sea.

⁵ The abyss has covered them. They descended into the depths like a stone.

⁶ Your right hand, O Lord, has been magnified in strength. Your right hand, O Lord, has struck down the enemy.

⁷ And in the multitude of your glory you have put down your adversaries. You sent out your wrath, which devoured them like stubble.

⁸ And by the breath of your fury, the waters were gathered together. The flowing waves stood still. The abyss was gathered into the midst of the sea.

⁹ The enemy said: ‘I will pursue and overtake them. I will divide the spoils. My soul will be filled. I will unsheathe my sword. My hand will put them to death.’

¹⁰ Your breath blew, and the sea covered them. They were submerged like lead into the mighty waters.

¹¹ Who is like you in strength, O Lord? Who is like you: magnificent in sanctity, terrible and yet praiseworthy, accomplishing miracles?

¹² You extended your hand, and the earth devoured them.

¹³ In your mercy, you have been a leader to the people whom you have redeemed. And in your strength, you have carried them to your holy dwelling place.¹

1. 15:13Which place is the ‘holy dwelling place’? It is the Promised Land and it is Mount Zion. The wording of this text indicates that it was written after the Israelites reached the land of Israel.(Conte)

¹⁴ Peoples rose up and became angry. Sorrows took hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.

¹⁵ Then the leaders of Edom were stirred up, and trembling took hold of the robust of Moab. All the inhabitants of Canaan were petrified.

¹⁶ Let fear and dread fall upon them, by the magnitude of your arm. Let them become immobilized like stone, until your people cross through, O Lord, until this, your people whom you possess, cross through.

¹⁷ You shall lead them in and plant them, on the mountain of your inheritance, in your most firm dwelling place, which you have formed, O Lord, your sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have made firm.

¹⁸ The Lord will reign in eternity and beyond.

¹⁹ For the rider Pharaoh, with his chariots and horsemen, was brought into the sea. And the Lord brought back upon them the waters of the sea. But the sons of Israel walked across dry ground in its midst.”

²⁰ And so Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took up a timbrel in her hand. And all the women followed her with timbrels and dancing.

²¹ And she prophesied, saying: “Let us sing to the Lord, for he has been gloriously magnified. The horse and its rider, he has thrown into the sea.”¹

1. 15:21The word ‘præcinebat’ refers to predictions or prophecy. Miriam’s song, only the first part of which is given here, was viewed as prophetic. Not all prophecy predicts the future; some prophecy describes past events with prophetic insight.(Conte)

²² Then Moses took Israel from the Red Sea, and they went forth into the desert of Shur. And they wandered for three days through the wilderness, and they found no water.

²³ And they arrived at Marah. They were unable to drink the waters of Marah because they were bitter. Therefore, he also established a name befitting the place, calling it ‘Marah,’ that is, bitterness.

²⁴ And the people murmured against Moses, saying: “What shall we drink?”

²⁵ So he cried out to the Lord, who showed him a tree. And when he had cast it into the waters, they were turned into sweetness. In that place, he established instructions for him, and also judgments. And he tested him there,

²⁶ saying: “If you will listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and obey his commands, and keep all his precepts, I will not bring upon you any of the distress that I imposed on Egypt. For I am the Lord, your healer.”

²⁷ Then the sons of Israel arrived in Elim, where there were twelve fountains of water and seventy palm trees. And they camped next to the waters.