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)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(A)

²¹ A certain man from Cyrene,^(B) Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus,^(C) was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.^{(D) 22} They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ²³ Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh,^(E) but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots^(F) to see what each would get.

²⁵ It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.^(G)

²⁷ They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. ^{[28] [a] 29} Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads^(H) and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,^{(I) 30} come down from the cross and save yourself!” ³¹ In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him^(J) among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah,^(K) this king of Israel,^(L) come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus^(M)

³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.^{(N) 34} And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[b](O)

³⁵ When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

³⁶ Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar,^(P) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.^(Q)

³⁸ The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.^{(R) 39} And when the centurion,^(S) who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,^[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”^(T)

⁴⁰ Some women were watching from a distance.^(U) Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,^[d] and Salome.^{(V) 41} In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.^(W)

The Burial of Jesus^(A)

⁵⁰ Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, ⁵¹ who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.^{(B) 52} Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. ⁵³ Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. ⁵⁴ It was Preparation Day,^(C) and the Sabbath was about to begin.

⁵⁵ The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee^(D) followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ⁵⁶ Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes.^(E) But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.^(F)