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)

Jesus Arrested^(A)

18 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley.^(B) On the other side there was a garden,^(C) and he and his disciples went into it.^(D)

² Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.^{(E) 3} So Judas came to the garden, guiding^(F) a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees.^(G) They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

⁴ Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him,^(H) went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”^(I)

⁵ “Jesus of Nazareth,”^(J) they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) ⁶ When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

⁷ Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”^(K)

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” ⁹ This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”^[a](L)

¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

¹¹ Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup^(M) the Father has given me?”

¹² Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials^(N) arrested Jesus. They bound him ¹³ and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,^(O) the high priest that year. ¹⁴ Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.^(P)

Peter’s First Denial^(Q)

¹⁵ Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest,^(R) he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard,^{(S) 16} but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

¹⁷ “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter.

He replied, “I am not.”^(T)

¹⁸ It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire^(U) they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.^(V)

The High Priest Questions Jesus^(W)

¹⁹ Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.

²⁰ “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues^(X) or at the temple,^(Y) where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.^{(Z) 21} Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”

²² When Jesus said this, one of the officials^(AA) nearby slapped him in the face.^(AB) “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.

²³ “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”^{(AC) 24} Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas^(AD) the high priest.

Peter’s Second and Third Denials^(AE)

²⁵ Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself.^(AF) So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”

He denied it, saying, “I am not.”^(AG)

²⁶ One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off,^(AH) challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”^{(AI) 27} Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.^(AJ)

Jesus Before Pilate^(AK)

²⁸ Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor.^(AL) By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace,^(AM) because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.^{(AN) 29} So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

³⁰ “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

³¹ Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. ³² This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.^(AO)

The Burial of Jesus^(A)

³⁸ Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders.^(B) With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹ He was accompanied by Nicodemus,^(C) the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.^{[a] 40} Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen.^(D) This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.^{(E) 41} At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴² Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation^(F) and since the tomb was nearby,^(G) they laid Jesus there.