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)

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^(A) lamb. ²² Take a bunch of hyssop,^(B) dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood^(C) 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^(D) down the Egyptians, he will see the blood^(E) on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over^(F) that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer^(G) to enter your houses and strike you down.

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

²⁹ At midnight^(O) the Lord^(P) struck down all the firstborn^(Q) 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^(R) as well. ³⁰ Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing^(S) 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^(T) the Lord as you have requested.