Abraham Tested

22 Some time later God tested^(A) Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,”^(B) he replied.

² Then God said, “Take your son^(C), your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.^(D) Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering^(E) on a mountain I will show you.^(F)”

³ Early the next morning^(G) Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.^(H)”

⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac,^(I) and he himself carried the fire and the knife.^(J) As the two of them went on together, ⁷ Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb^(K) for the burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide^(L) the lamb^(M) for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

⁹ When they reached the place God had told him about,^(N) Abraham built an altar^(O) there and arranged the wood^(P) on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar,^(Q) on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand and took the knife^(R) to slay his son.^{(S) 11} But the angel of the Lord^(T) called out to him from heaven,^(U) “Abraham! Abraham!”^(V)

“Here I am,”^(W) he replied.

¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God,^(X) because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.^(Y)”

¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram^[a] caught by its horns.^(Z) He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.^{(AA) 14} So Abraham called^(AB) that place The Lord^(AC) Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.^(AD)”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord^(AE) called to Abraham from heaven^(AF) a second time ¹⁶ and said, “I swear by myself,^(AG) declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,^{(AH) 17} I will surely bless you^(AI) and make your descendants^(AJ) as numerous as the stars in the sky^(AK) and as the sand on the seashore.^(AL) Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,^{(AM) 18} and through your offspring^[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,^[c](AN) because you have obeyed me.”^(AO)

¹⁹ Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba.^(AP) And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Nahor’s Sons

²⁰ Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor:^{(AQ) 21} Uz^(AR) the firstborn, Buz^(AS) his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), ²² Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.^(AT)” ²³ Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.^(AU) Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.^{(AV) 24} His concubine,^(AW) whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread^(A)

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, ² “This month is to be for you the first month,^(B) the first month of your year. ³ Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb^[a](C) for his family, one for each household.^{(D) 4} If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. ⁵ The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect,^(E) and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. ⁶ Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month,^(F) when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.^{(G) 7} Then they are to take some of the blood^(H) and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. ⁸ That same night^(I) they are to eat the meat roasted^(J) over the fire, along with bitter herbs,^(K) and bread made without yeast.^{(L) 9} Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs.^{(M) 10} Do not leave any of it till morning;^(N) if some is left till morning, you must burn it. ¹¹ This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste;^(O) it is the Lord’s Passover.^(P)

¹² “On that same night I will pass through^(Q) Egypt and strike down^(R) every firstborn^(S) of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods^(T) of Egypt. I am the Lord.^{(U) 13} The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over^(V) you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.^(W)

¹⁴ “This is a day you are to commemorate;^(X) for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.^{(Y) 15} For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.^(Z) On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off^(AA) from Israel. ¹⁶ On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work^(AB) at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

¹⁷ “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread,^(AC) because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.^(AD) Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.^{(AE) 18} In the first month^(AF) you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. ¹⁹ For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner^(AG) or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off^(AH) from the community of Israel. ²⁰ Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live,^(AI) you must eat unleavened bread.”^(AJ)

²¹ Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover^(AK) lamb. ²² Take a bunch of hyssop,^(AL) dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood^(AM) on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. ²³ When the Lord goes through the land to strike^(AN) down the Egyptians, he will see the blood^(AO) on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over^(AP) that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer^(AQ) to enter your houses and strike you down.

²⁴ “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance^(AR) for you and your descendants. ²⁵ When you enter the land^(AS) that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. ²⁶ And when your children^(AT) ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ ²⁷ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover^(AU) sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’”^(AV) Then the people bowed down and worshiped.^{(AW) 28} The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded^(AX) Moses and Aaron.

²⁹ At midnight^(AY) the Lord^(AZ) struck down all the firstborn^(BA) in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock^(BB) as well. ³⁰ Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing^(BC) in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

The Exodus

³¹ During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship^(BD) the Lord as you have requested. ³² Take your flocks and herds,^(BE) as you have said, and go. And also bless^(BF) me.”

³³ The Egyptians urged the people to hurry^(BG) and leave^(BH) the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”^{(BI) 34} So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs^(BJ) wrapped in clothing. ³⁵ The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold^(BK) and for clothing.^{(BL) 36} The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed^(BM) toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered^(BN) the Egyptians.

³⁷ The Israelites journeyed from Rameses^(BO) to Sukkoth.^(BP) There were about six hundred thousand men^(BQ) on foot, besides women and children. ³⁸ Many other people^(BR) went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. ³⁹ With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out^(BS) of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.

⁴⁰ Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt^[b] was 430 years.^{(BT) 41} At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions^(BU) left Egypt.^{(BV) 42} Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.^(BW)

Passover Restrictions

⁴³ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal:^(BX)

“No foreigner^(BY) may eat it. ⁴⁴ Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised^(BZ) him, ⁴⁵ but a temporary resident or a hired worker^(CA) may not eat it.

⁴⁶ “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.^{(CB) 47} The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.

⁴⁸ “A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land.^(CC) No uncircumcised^(CD) male may eat it. ⁴⁹ The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner^(CE) residing among you.”

⁵⁰ All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded^(CF) Moses and Aaron. ⁵¹ And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt^(CG) by their divisions.^(CH)

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus^(A) issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.^{(B) 2} (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.)^{(C) 3} And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem^(D) the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him^(E) and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel^(F) of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.^(G) I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior^(H) has been born to you; he is the Messiah,^(I) the Lord.^{(J) 12} This will be a sign^(K) to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.^{(M) 17} When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.^{(N) 20} The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God^(O) for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child,^(P) he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.^(Q)

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(R) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[b]),^{(S) 24} and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[c](T)

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(U) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(V) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^{(W) 28} Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(AB) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(AC) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet,^(AD) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e](AE) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^{(AF) 38} Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(AG)

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.^{(AH) 40} And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.^(AI)

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.^{(AJ) 42} When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed^(AK) at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother^(AL) said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father^(AM) and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”^{[f](AN) 50} But they did not understand what he was saying to them.^(AO)

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them^(AP) and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.^{(AQ) 52} And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.^(AR)