וַיֻּגַּד֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֥י בָרַ֖ח הָעָ֑ם וַ֠יֵּהָפֵךְ לְבַ֨ב פַּרְעֹ֤ה וַעֲבָדָיו֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם וַיֹּֽאמרוּ֙ מַה־זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־שִׁלַּ֥חְנוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעָבְדֵֽנוּ׃
И было сказано царю Египетскому, что народ бежал; и сердце фараона и его слуг было обращено к людям, и они сказали:'Что мы сделали, что позволили Израилю уйти от служения нам?
Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael
(Exodus 14:5) "And it was told to the king of Egypt": Who told him? His emissaries (that he had sent with them.) Some say: He had watchtowers. Others say: Amalek told him.
Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael
In the past, Pharaoh's servants said to him (Exodus 10:7) "How long will this one be a stumbling block to us?" and now (Ibid. 14:5) "What is this that we did in sending Israel away from serving us?" They said to him: If we were smitten and we had not sent him away, that would have been enough for us. Or if we were smitten and had sent him away and he had not taken our wealth from us, that would have been enough for us. But we have been smitten, and we have sent him away, and he has taken our wealth from us!
Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael
Variantly: "And the heart of Pharaoh was reversed": Scripture hereby apprises us that when Israel left Egypt, its kingdom came to an end, as it is written (Ezekiel 32:19) "Whom have you (Egypt) surpassed in beauty? Descend and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!"