Old Testament: Exodus 14:19-31

¹⁹The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. ²⁰It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.

²¹Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. ²²The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. ²³The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. ²⁴At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. ²⁵He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”²⁶Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” ²⁷So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. ²⁸The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. ²⁹But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. ³⁰Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. ³¹Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Psalm: Psalm 114 or Exodus 15:1b-11,20-21

¹ Hallelujah!
  When Israel came out of Egypt, *
       the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,
² Judah became God’s sanctuary *
       and Israel his dominion.
³ The sea beheld it and fled; *
       Jordan turned and went back.
⁴ The mountains skipped like rams, *
       and the little hills like young sheep.
⁵ What ailed you, O sea, that you fled? *
       O Jordan, that you turned back?
⁶ You mountains, that you skipped like rams? *
       you little hills like young sheep?
⁷ Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, *
       at the presence of the God of Jacob,
⁸ Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water *
       and flint-stone into a flowing spring.

or

¹ ‘I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
   horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.
² The Lord is my strength and my might,
   and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
   my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
³ The Lord is a warrior;
   the Lord is his name.

⁴ ‘Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he cast into the sea;
   his picked officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
⁵ The floods covered them;
   they went down into the depths like a stone.
⁶ Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power—
   your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.
⁷ In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries;
   you sent out your fury, it consumed them like stubble.
⁸ At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up,
   the floods stood up in a heap;
   the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
⁹ The enemy said, “I will pursue, I will overtake,
   I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
   I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.”
¹⁰ You blew with your wind, the sea covered them;
   they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

¹¹ ‘Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
   Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
   awesome in splendour, doing wonders?

²⁰ Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. ²¹And Miriam sang to them:
‘Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.’

Old Testament: Genesis 50:15-21

¹⁵Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” ¹⁶So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died, ¹⁷‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. ¹⁸Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.”¹⁹But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God?²⁰Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. ²¹So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

Psalm: Psalm 103:(1-7), 8-13

¹ [Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
       and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
² Bless the Lord, O my soul, *
       and forget not all his benefits.
³ He forgives all your sins *
       and heals all your infirmities;
⁴ He redeems your life from the grave *
       and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;
⁵ He satisfies you with good things, *
       and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
⁶ The Lord executes righteousness *
       and judgment for all who are oppressed.
⁷ He made his ways known to Moses *
       and his works to the children of Israel.]
⁸ The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, *
       slow to anger and of great kindness.
⁹ He will not always accuse us, *
       nor will he keep his anger for ever.
¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
       nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
       so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
¹² As far as the east is from the west, *
       so far has he removed our sins from us.
¹³ As a father cares for his children, *
       so does the Lord care for those who fear him.