< Genesis 22 >

1 Sometime later God tested Abraham. He called out to him, “Abraham!” “I'm here,” Abraham replied.
Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.
2 God told him, “Go with your son, the one you love, your only son, to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll show you.”
“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.”
3 Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled up his donkey. He took two servants and Isaac with him and went to cut firewood for the burnt offering. Then he left with them to go to the place God had told him about.
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.
4 After traveling for three days Abraham could see the place in the distance.
On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5 He told his servants, “Wait here with the donkey while I go with the boy and worship God. Then we'll return.”
“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.”
6 Abraham had Isaac carry the wood for the burnt offering, while he carried the fire and the knife, and they walked up together.
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.
7 Isaac said to Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “Well, we have the fire and the wood, but where's the lamb for the burnt offering?” Isaac asked.
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?”
8 “God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied, and they went on walking up together.
Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and placed the wood on it. Then he bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.
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.
10 Abraham picked up the knife, ready to slaughter his son.
Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord shouted to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes, I'm here,” he replied.
Just then the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
12 The angel said, “Don't touch the boy! Don't do anything to him, because now I know that you truly do what God tells you. You didn't refuse to give me your son, your only son.”
“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.”
13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in some bushes. He brought the ram over and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
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.
14 Abraham called the place “The Lord will Provide.” That's still a saying people use today: “the Lord will provide on his mountain.”
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.”
15 The angel of the Lord shouted again to Abraham from heaven,
And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time,
16 “I swear by myself, says the Lord, that because you have done this and didn't refuse to give me your son, your only son,
saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,
17 you can be sure that I will bless you and give you many descendants. They will be as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sand of the seashore, and they will conquer their enemies.
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.
18 All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your descendants because you did what I told you.”
And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they went back together to Beersheba where Abraham was living.
Abraham went back to his servants, and they got up and set out together for Beersheba. And Abraham settled in Beersheba.
20 Sometime later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has had sons for your brother Nahor.”
Some time later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has also borne sons to your brother Nahor:
21 Uz was the firstborn, then his brother Buz, Kemuel (who became the ancestor of Arameans),
Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram),
22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
23 (Bethuel was Rebekah's father.) Milcah had these eight sons for Abraham's brother Nahor.
And Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.
24 In addition, Reumah his concubine had Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
Moreover, Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

< Genesis 22 >