1(vii) After these things, God tested Avraham. He said to him, “Avraham!” and he answered, “Here I am.” 2He said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Yitz’chak; and go to the land of Moriyah. There you are to offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will point out to you.”

3Avraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, together with Yitz’chak his son. He cut the wood for the burnt offering, departed and went toward the place God had told him about. 4On the third day, Avraham raised his eyes and saw the place in the distance. 5Avraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go there, worship and return to you.” 6Avraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Yitz’chak his son. Then he took in his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went on together.

7Yitz’chak spoke to Avraham his father: “My father?” He answered, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “I see the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8Avraham replied, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son”; and they both went on together.

9They came to the place God had told him about; and Avraham built the altar there, set the wood in order, bound Yitz’chak his son and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 10Then Avraham put out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.

11But the angel of Adonai called to him out of heaven: “Avraham? Avraham!” He answered, “Here I am.” 12He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy! Don’t do anything to him! For now I know that you are a man who fears God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13Avraham raised his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. Avraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14Avraham called the place Adonai Yir’eh [Adonai will see (to it), Adonai provides] — as it is said to this day, “On the mountain Adonai is seen.”

15The angel of Adonai called to Avraham a second time out of heaven. 16He said, “I have sworn by myself — says Adonai — that because you have done this, because you haven’t withheld your son, your only son, 17I will most certainly bless you; and I will most certainly increase your descendants to as many as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the cities of their enemies, 18and by your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed — because you obeyed my order.”

19So Avraham returned to his young men. They got up and went together to Be’er-Sheva, and Avraham settled in Be’er-Sheva.

(Maftir) 20Afterwards, Avraham was told, “Milkah too has borne children, to your brother Nachor — 21‘Utz his firstborn, Buz his brother, K’mu’el the father of Aram, 22Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Yidlaf and B’tu’el. 23B’tu’el fathered Rivkah. These eight Milkah bore to Nachor Avraham’s brother. 24His concubine, whose name was Re’umah, bore children also: Tevach, Gacham, Tachash and Ma‘akhah.

Haftarah Vayera: M’lakhim Bet (2 Kings) 4:1–37 (A); 4:1–23 (S)

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Vayera: Luke 17:26 –37; Romans 9:6 – 9; Galatians 4:21–31; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 6:13–20; 11:13–19; Ya‘akov (James) 2:14–24; 2 Kefa (2 Peter) 2:4–10

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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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B'resheet (Gen) 22

Genesis 22