וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת־הָעָם וְלֹא־נָחָם אֱלֹהִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי קָרֹוב הוּא כִּי אָמַר אֱלֹהִים פֶּֽן־יִנָּחֵם הָעָם בִּרְאֹתָם מִלְחָמָה וְשָׁבוּ מִצְרָֽיְמָה
vay'hi b'shallach par'oh eht-ha'am v'lo-nacham elohim derekh eretz plishtim ki karov hua ki amar elohim pen-yinacheym ha'am bir'otam mil'chamah v'shavu mitzraymah
"After Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not guide them to the highway that goes through the land of the P'lishtim, because it was close by -God thought that the people, upon seeing war, might change their minds and return to Egypt."