Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁷ Abraham believed God when he was tested. The test was to give Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham gave up his only son, even though God had made a promise to him about Isaac.

¹⁸ God had said to Abraham, `Isaac's children will be called your family.'

¹⁹ Abraham said in his heart that God could bring Isaac back to life. And so it was just as if he did get his son back.

²⁰ Isaac believed God. He gave Jacob and Esau blessings that were to come.

²¹ Jacob believed God. When he was dying, he blessed Joseph's two sons. He leaned on his walking stick as he worshipped God.

²² Joseph believed God. When he died, he remembered God's promise and talked about the time the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He told them what to do with his bones when they left Egypt.

²³ The father and mother of Moses believed God. When he was born, they hid him for three months because they saw that he was a very nice baby. They were not afraid of the king's orders.

²⁴ Moses believed God. When he was grown up, he did not want to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

²⁵ He chose to have troubles along with God's people. He thought that was better than the fun which he could have living a wrong life. The fun would last only for a short time.

²⁶ He thought it was better to take shame, as Christ did, than to be a rich man in Egypt. He was looking for God's blessings.

²⁷ He believed God and left Egypt. He was not afraid of the king's anger. He was strong because he saw the one who cannot be seen.

²⁸ He believed God and obeyed his law about the Passover Feast, and put blood on the door posts. He did this so that the angel who killed the oldest sons of the Egyptians, would pass over. Then he would not kill the oldest sons in the families of the Jews.