Genesis 22
1 Several years later, God tested Abraham [to find out] whether Abraham [really trusted in him and would obey him]. He called out to Abraham, and Abraham replied, “I’m here.”
After these things occurred, God tested Abraham, and he said to him, “Abraham, Abraham.” And he answered, “Here I am.”
2 God said, “Your son, Isaac, whom you love very much, is the only son [who is still here with you]. But take him and go together to the Moriah region. Offer him as a sacrifice like a burnt offering, on a hill that I will show you.”
He said to him: “Take your only begotten son Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of vision. And there you shall offer him as a holocaust upon one of the mountains, which I will show to you.”
3 So Abraham got up early the next morning, put a saddle on his donkey, and took with him two of his servants along with his son, Isaac. He also chopped some wood to kindle a fire for a burnt offering. Then they started traveling to the place God told him about.
And so Abraham, getting up in the night, harnessed his donkey, taking with him two youths, and his son Isaac. And when he had cut wood for the holocaust, he traveled toward the place, as God had instructed him.
4 On the third day of their travels, Abraham looked up and saw in the distance the place where God wanted him to go.
Then, on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place at a distance.
5 Abraham said to his servants, “You two stay here with the donkey while the boy and I go over there. We will worship God there, and then we will come back to you.”
And he said to his servants: “Wait here with the donkey. I and the boy will hurry further ahead to that place. After we have worshipped, will return to you.”
6 Then Abraham took the wood to kindle a fire for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, for him to carry. Abraham carried in his hand a [pan containing burning coals to start a] fire, and a knife, and the two of them walked along together.
He also took the wood for the holocaust, and he imposed it upon his son Isaac. And he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. And as the two continued on together,
7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham, saying, “My father!” Abraham replied, “Yes, my son, I’m here!” Isaac said, “Look, we have wood and [coals to light] a fire, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Isaac said to his father, “My father.” And he answered, “What do you want, son?” “Behold,” he said, “fire and wood. Where is the victim for the holocaust?”
8 Abraham replied, “My son, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.” So the two of them continued walking along together.
But Abraham said, “God himself will provide the victim for the holocaust, my son.” Thus they continued on together.
9 They arrived at the place God had told him about. There, Abraham built a stone altar and arranged the wood on top of it. Then he tied his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.
And they came to the place that God had shown to him. There he built an altar, and he set the wood in order upon it. And when he had bound his son Isaac, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood.
10 Then Abraham took the knife and reached out to kill his son.
And he reached out his hand and took hold of the sword, in order to sacrifice his son.
11 But an angel [who was really Yahweh] called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” Abraham replied, “I’m here!”
And behold, an Angel of the Lord called out from heaven, saying, “Abraham, Abraham.” And he answered, “Here I am.”
12 The angel said, “Do not harm the boy or do anything to injure him, because now I know that you respect and obey God. I know that because you have not refused to sacrifice your son, the only son [who is still with you].”
And he said to him, “Do not extend your hand over the boy, and do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, since you have not spared your only begotten son for my sake.”
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw that a ram was nearby, whose horns had been caught in a (thicket/clump of bushes). So Abraham went over and grabbed the ram [and killed it], and sacrificed it on the altar as a burnt offering, instead of his son.
Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw behind his back a ram among the thorns, caught by the horns, which he took and offered as a holocaust, instead of his son.
14 Abraham named that place ‘Yahweh will provide’. And to the present day, people say, “On Yahweh’s mountain, he will provide.”
And he called the name of that place: ‘The Lord Sees.’ Thus, even to this day, it is said: ‘On the mountain, the Lord will see.’
15 The angel [who was really Yahweh] called out to Abraham from heaven a second time.
Then the Angel of the Lord called out to Abraham a second time from heaven, saying:
16 He said, “I, Yahweh your Lord, am telling you that you did what I told you, and you have not refused to sacrifice your only son [that is with you]. So I say, ‘I solemnly swear, with myself as my witness,
“By my own self, I have sworn, says the Lord. Because you have done this thing, and have not spared your only begotten son for my sake,
17 that some day your descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. And your descendants will defeat their enemies and capture their cities [SYN].’
I will bless you, and I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies.
18 You obeyed me, so by means of your descendants the people of all the nations on the earth will be blessed.”
And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you obeyed my voice.”
19 Then Abraham and Isaac returned to where his servants were waiting, and they went back home together to Beersheba, and Abraham stayed there.
Abraham returned to his servants, and they went to Beersheba together, and he lived there.
20 After these things happened, someone told Abraham, “Your brother Nahor’s wife, Milcah, has also given birth to children. She has eight sons.”
After these things occurred, it was reported to Abraham that Milcah, likewise, had borne sons for his brother Nahor:
21 The oldest son was Uz. The next was Buz. After him was Kemuel, the father of Aram.
Uz, the firstborn, and Buz, his brother, and Kemuel, the father of the Syrians,
22 After Kemuel was Kesad, then Hazo, then Pildash, then Jidlaph, then Bethuel,
and Chesed, and Hazo, likewise Pildash, and Jidlaph,
23 who was the father of Rebekah, [who later became Isaac’s wife]. Those were the eight sons of Milcah, wife of Abraham’s brother, Nahor.
as well as Bethuel, of whom was born Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore for Nahor, the brother of Abraham.
24 Nahor also had a (concubine/female slave whom he took as a wife), whose name was Beumah. She gave birth to four sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
In truth, his concubine, named Reumah, bore Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maacah.
