2Then God said, “Take your son, your only son. He is the one you love. Take Isaac. Go to the place called Moriah. Give your son to me there as a burnt offering. Sacrifice him on the mountain I will show you.”

3Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took two of his servants and his son Isaac with him. He cut enough wood for the burnt offering. Then he started out for the place God had shown him. 4On the third day Abraham saw the place a long way off. 5He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go over there and worship. Then we’ll come back to you.”

6Abraham had his son Isaac carry the wood for the burnt offering. He himself carried the fire and the knife. And the two of them walked on together. 7Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said. “But where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them walked on together.

9They reached the place God had shown Abraham. There Abraham built an altar. He arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son Isaac. Abraham placed him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Then he reached out his hand. He picked up the knife to kill his son. 11But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven. He said, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” Abraham replied.

12“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not harm him. Now I know that you would do anything for God. You have not held back from me your son, your only son.”

13Abraham looked around. There in a bush he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram. He sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14So Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide. To this day people say, “It will be provided on the mountain of the Lord.”

15The angel of the Lord called out to Abraham from heaven a second time. 16He said, “I am giving you my word that I will bless you. I will bless you because of what you have done,” announces the Lord. “You have not held back your son, your only son. 17So I will certainly bless you. I will make the children born into your family as many as the stars in the sky. I will make them as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They will take over the cities of their enemies. 18All nations on earth will be blessed because of your children. All these things will happen because you have obeyed me.”

19Then Abraham returned to his servants. They started out together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Nahor’s Sons

20Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah has become a mother. She has had sons by your brother Nahor.

21Uz was born first. Then came his brother Buz.

Kemuel was born next. He became the father of Aram.

22Milkah’s other sons are Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.”

23Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.

Milkah had the eight sons by Abraham’s brother Nahor.

24Nahor had a concubine named Reumah. She also had sons.

They were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®

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Genesis 22

The Offering of Isaac

(John 3:1–21)

1Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

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.”

3So 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.

4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 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.”

6Abraham 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.

7Then 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?”

8Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two walked on together.

9When 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. 10Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

The Lord Provides the Sacrifice

11Just then the angel #22:11 Or Angel; also in verses 12 and 15 of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

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.#22:12 Or from Me”

13Then Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram #22:13 Most MT manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts, SP, LXX, and Syriac saw one 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. 14And Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide.#22:14 Hebrew YHWH Yireh So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

15And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time, 16saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son, 17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants #22:17 Cited in Hebrews 6:14 like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. 18And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,#22:18 Cited in Acts 3:25 because you have obeyed My voice.”

19Abraham went back to his servants, and they got up and set out together for Beersheba. And Abraham settled in Beersheba.

The Sons of Nahor

20Some time later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has also borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”

23And Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 24Moreover, Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

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Genesis 22

Genesis 22