³¹ So also in the matter of the envoys of the officials of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.^(A)

² Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments.^(A)

⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

Hezekiah’s Sickness

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, and he answered him and gave him a sign.^(A)

The Command to Sacrifice Isaac

22 After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

¹⁶ He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you and in the end to do you good.^(A)

¹³ No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one.

² But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like washers’ soap;^{(A) 3} he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.^[a](B)

¹¹ But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”^{(A) 12} The Lord said to the accuser,^[a] “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!” So the accuser^[b] went out from the presence of the Lord.