work days, not on sabbaths or solemnities; and by day, not by night. [Jerusalem. From these days to those months.] And when I the Lord have brought thee into the land of the Kenaanaee, which I have sworn to thee and to thy fathers to give thee, thou shalt set apart before the Lord every one that openeth the womb; and every animal that its dam beareth and that openeth the womb, if it be to thee a male, thou shalt sanctify before the Lord. And every ass that openeth the womb thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou redeem him not, thou shalt cut him off; [Jerusalem. Thou shalt kill him;] and every firstborn man (child) among thy sons thou shalt redeem; but thy servant thou mayest not redeem with money.

And when in future thy son shall ask thee, saying, What is this ordinance of the firstborn? thou shalt tell him: By the power of a mighty hand the Lord. delivered us from Mizraim, redeeming us from the house of the servitude of slaves. And when the Word of the Lord had hardened the heart of Pharoh (that he would) not deliver us, he killed all the firstborn in the land of Mizraim, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of cattle; therefore do I sacrifice before the Lord every male that openeth the womb, and every firstborn of my sons I redeem with silver. And it shall be inscribed and set forth upon thy left hand, and on the tephilla between thine eyebrows; because by mighty strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Mizraim.

AND it was when

SECTION XVI.

that the Lord did not

BESHALACH.

Pharoh had released the people, conduct them by the way of the

land of the Phelishtaee, though that was the near one; for the Lord said, Lest the people be affrighted in seeing their brethren who were killed in war, two hundred thousand men of strength of the tribe of Ephraim, who took shields, and lances, and weapons of war, and went down to Gath to carry off the flocks of the Phelishtaee; and because they transgressed against the statute of the Word of the Lord, and went forth from Mizraim three years before the (appointed) end of their servitude, they were delivered into the hand of the Phelishtaee, who slew them. These are the dry bones which the Word of the Lord restored to life by the ministry (hand) of Yechezekel the prophet, in the vale of Dura; but which, if they (now) saw them, they would be afraid, and return into Mizraim. But the Lord led the people round by the way of the desert of the sea of Suph; and every one of the sons of Israel, with five children, went up from the land of Mizraim. And Mosheh carried up the ark in which were the bones of Joseph, from out of the Nilos, and took them with him; because, adjuring, he adjured the sons of Israel, saying, The Lord will surely remember you, and you shall carry up my bones with you.

And they journeyed from Succoth, the place where they had been covered with the clouds of glory, and sojourned in Ethan, which is on the side of the desert. [Jerusalem. 18. And the Word of the Lord conducted the people by the way of the desert of the sea of Suph; armed in good works went up the sons of Israel, free from the land of Mizraim. 19. For, adjuring, he adjured the sons of Israel, saying, The Lord remembering, will remember you in His Word, and in His good mercies. 20. Which cometh upon the end of the desert.] And the glory of the Shekinah of the Lord went before them by day in the column of the Cloud to lead them in the way, and at night the column of the Cloud removed behind them to darken on their pur

suers behind them; but to be a column of fire to enlighten them before, that they might go forward by day and by night. The column of the Cloud departed not by day, nor the column of fire by night, in leading on before the people. [Jerusalem. It ceased not.]

XIV. And the Lord spake to Mosheh, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel, that they return back, and encamp before the Mouths of Hiratha, as they lie, created after the manner (likeness) of the children of men, male and female, and their eyes open to them: it is the place of Tanes, which is between Migdol and the sea, before the idol Zephon (Typhon), that is left of all the idols of Mizraim. For the Mizraee will say, More excellent is Baal Zephon than all idols, because it is left, and not smitten; and therefore will they come to worship it, and will find that you are encamped nigh unto it, on the border of the sea.

And Pharoh said to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Israel, who had remained in Mizraim, The people of the house of Israel are bewildered in the land: the idol Zephon hath shut them in close upon the desert. [Jerusalem. 2. And they shall return and encamp before the caravansaries of Hiratha, between Migdol and the sea, before the idol of Zephon, ye shall encamp over against it. And Pharoh will say concerning the people of the sons of Israel, They are losing themselves in the wilderness: the idol of Peor hath shut them in before the desert.] And I will strengthen the design of Pharoh's heart to pursue after them, and I will be glorified upon Pharoh and upon his hosts, and the Mizraee shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so.

And the officers who went with Israel announced

6 They were two lofty rocks, with a defile between them, called the (pi) mouth of the rocks.-R. S. IZHAKI, in loco.

7 Oktaraia: Octariones, præfecti militares."

that the people had fled. [Jerusalem. And it was declared to the king.] And the heart of Pharoh and his servants was turned unto evil against the people; and they said, What is this that we have done? for we have released Israel from serving us. And he himself prepared his chariot, and his people led he with him by soft words. And he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of the Mizraee his servants, who were afraid of the Word of the Lord, lest they should be killed with pestilence, if not with hail: and a third mule, for drawing and following swiftly, he added to each chariot. And the Lord hardened the design of the heart of Pharoh, king of Mizraim, and he pursued after the sons of Israel. But the sons of Israel, going out with a high hand, were stronger than the Mizraee. And the Mizraee followed after them, and came upon them as they were encamped by the sea, gathering of pearls and goodly stones, which the river Pishon had carried from the garden of Eden into the Gihon, and the Gihon had carried into the sea of Suph, and the sea of Suph had cast upon its bank. But all the chariothorses of Pharoh, and his horsemen, and his hosts (were coming) towards the Mouths of Hiratha, which are before the idol Zephon. And Pharoh saw the idol Zephon (still) preserved, and offered oblations before it. And the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Mizraee were pursuing them; and they were sorely afraid, and the children of Israel prayed before the Lord. But the wicked generation said to Mosheh, Because there were no places of burial for us in Mizraim, hast thou led us forth to die in the wilderness? What hast thou done to us, in bringing us out of Mizraim ? Was not this the word that we spake to thee in Mizraim, Let the Lord manifest Himself over us and judge, saying, Desist from us, and we will serve the Mizrace?

for it is better for us to serve the Mizraee than to perish in the desert. [Jerusalem. 9. But the sons of Israel had gone out free......Before the caravansaries of Hiratha, before the idol Zephon.]

;

Four parties were made (among) the sons of Israel on the shore of the Weedy Sea: one said, Let us go down into the sea; another said, Let us return into Mizraim; another said, Let us set against them the line of battle ; and another said, Let us raise a cry against them, and confound them. Unto the company which said, Let us go down to the sea, spake Mosheh, Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which will be wrought for you to-day. To the company which said, Let us return into Mizraim, Mosheh said, You shall not return; for, though you see the Mizraee to-day, you will see them no more for ever. To the company who said, Let us set against them the line of battle, said Mosheh, Contend not; for the victory shall be wrought among you from the presence of the Lord. And to the company who said, Let us raise a cry against them, Mosheh said, Be silent; and give the glory, and praise, and exaltation to your God.

And the Lord said to Mosheh, Why standest thou praying before Me? Behold, the prayers of My people have come before thy own: speak to the sons of Israel, that they go forward; and thou, lift up thy rod, and stretch forth thy hand with it over the sea, and divide it and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea upon the ground. For, behold, I will harden the design of the heart of the Mizraee, and they will go in after them; and I will be glorified upon Pharoh and upon all his hosts, upon his chariots and his horsemen ; that the Mizraee may know that I am the Lord, when I am glorified upon Pharoh, upon his chariots and

horsemen.