< Genesis 22 >

1 Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.
After these things, God tempted Abraham, and said to him: Abraham, Abraham. And he answered: Here I am.
2 “Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
He said to him: Take thy only begotten son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go into the land of vision: and there thou shalt offer him for an holocaust upon one of the mountains which I will show thee.
3 So Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated.
So Abraham rising up in the night, saddled his ass: and took with him two young men, and Isaac his son: and when he had cut wood for the holocaust he went his way to the place which God had commanded him.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
And on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place afar off.
5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told his servants. “The boy and I will go over there to worship, and then we will return to you.”
And he said to his young men: Stay you here with the ass: I and the boy will go with speed as far as yonder, and after we have worshipped, will return to you.
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac. He himself carried the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together.
And he took the wood for the holocaust, and laid it upon Isaac his son: and he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. And as they two went on together,
7 Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” “Here I am, my son,” he replied. “The fire and the wood are here,” said Isaac, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Isaac said to his father: My father. And he answered: What wilt thou, son? Behold, saith he, fire and wood: where is the victim for the holocaust?
8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two walked on together.
And Abraham said: God will provide himself a victim for an holocaust, my son. So they went on together.
9 When they arrived at the place God had designated, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, atop the wood.
And they came to the place which God had shown him, where he built an altar, and laid the wood in order upon it: and when he had bound Isaac his son, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood.
10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
And he put forth his hand and took the sword, to sacrifice his son.
11 Just then the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
And behold an angel of the Lord from heaven called to him, saying: Abraham, Abraham. And he answered: Here I am.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”
And he said to him: Lay not thy hand upon the boy, neither do thou any thing to him: now I know that thou fearest God, and hast not spared thy only begotten son for my sake.
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram in a thicket, caught by its horns. So he went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw behind his back a ram amongst the briers sticking fast by the horns, which he took and offered for a holocaust instead of his son.
14 And Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
And he called the name of that place, The Lord seeth. Whereupon even to this day it is said: In the mountain the Lord will see.
15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time,
And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, saying:
16 saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,
By my own self have I sworn, saith the Lord: because thou hast done this thing, and hast not spared thy only begotten son for my sake:
17 I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
I will bless thee, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the sea shore: thy seed shall possess the gates of their enemies.
18 And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.
19 Abraham went back to his servants, and they got up and set out together for Beersheba. And Abraham settled in Beersheba.
Abraham returned to his young men, and they went to Bersabee together, and he dwelt there.
20 Some time later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has also borne sons to your brother Nahor:
After these things, it was told Abraham that Melcha also had borne children to Nachor his brother.
21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram),
Hus the firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Camuel the father of the Syrians,
22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
And Cased, and Azau, and Pheldas, and Jedlaph,
23 And Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.
And Bathuel, of whom was born Rebecca: These eight did Melcha bear to Nachor Abraham’s brother.
24 Moreover, Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
And his concubine, named Roma, bore Tabee, and Gaham, and Tahas, and Maacha.

< Genesis 22 >