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1Sometime later God tested Abraham. He called out to him, “Abraham!”
“I'm here,” Abraham replied.
2God told him, “Go with your son, your only son, the one you love, to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll tell you about.”
3Abraham 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.
4After traveling for three days Abraham could see the place in the distance. 5He told his servants, “Wait here with the donkey while I go with the boy and worship God. Then we'll return.”
6Abraham had Isaac carry the wood for the burnt offering, while he carried the fire and the knife, and they walked up together.
7Isaac 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.
8“God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied, and they went on walking up together.
9When 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. 10Abraham picked up the knife, ready to slaughter his son.
11But the angel of the Lord shouted to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Yes, I'm here,” he replied.
12The 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.”
13Abraham 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. 14Abraham called the place “The Lord will Provide.” That's still a saying people use today: “the Lord will provide on his mountain.”
15The angel of the Lord shouted again to Abraham from heaven, 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, 17you 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.#22:17. “Conquer their enemies”: literally, “take possession of the gates of their enemies.” 18All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your descendants because you did what I told you.”
19Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they went back together to Beersheba where Abraham was living.
20Sometime later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has had sons for your brother Nahor.” 21Uz was the firstborn, then his brother Buz, Kemuel (who became the ancestor of Arameans), 22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23(Bethuel was Rebekah's father.) Milcah had these eight sons for Abraham's brother Nahor. 24In addition, Reumah his concubine had Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.