2Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7Isaac spoke up and 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 went on together.

9When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11But the angel 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,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram#22:13 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text a ram behind him caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

15The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18and through your offspring#22:18 Or seed all nations on earth will be blessed,#22:18 Or and all nations on earth will use the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20) because you have obeyed me.”

19Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Nahor’s Sons

20Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 24His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

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Genesis 22

1 After these things occurred, God tested Abraham, and he said to him, "Abraham, Abraham." And he answered, "Here I am."

2 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 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 Then, on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place at a distance.

5 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 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 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 But Abraham said, "God himself will provide the victim for the holocaust, my son." Thus they continued on together.

9 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 And he reached out his hand and took hold of the sword, in order to sacrifice his son.

11 And behold, an Angel of the Lord called out from heaven, saying, "Abraham, Abraham." And he answered, "Here I am."

12 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 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 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 Then the Angel of the Lord called out to Abraham a second time from heaven, saying:

16 "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 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 And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you obeyed my voice."

19 Abraham returned to his servants, and they went to Beersheba together, and he lived there.

20 After these things occurred, it was reported to Abraham that Milcah, likewise, had borne sons for his brother Nahor:

21 Uz, the firstborn, and Buz, his brother, and Kemuel, the father of the Syrians,

22 and Chesed, and Hazo, likewise Pildash, and Jidlaph,

23 as well as Bethuel, of whom was born Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore for Nahor, the brother of Abraham.

24 In truth, his concubine, named Reumah, bore Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maacah.

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Genesis 22

Genesis 22