< 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.”
And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto him: 'Abraham'; and he said: 'Here am I.'
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.”
And He said: 'Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.'
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 Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he cleaved the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told 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.
On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
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 Abraham said unto his young men: 'Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come back 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.
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of them 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?”
And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and said: 'My father.' And he said: 'Here am I, my son.' And he said: 'Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?'
8 Abraham replied, “My son, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.” So the two of them continued walking along together.
And Abraham said: 'God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.' So they went both of them 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 which God had told him of; and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
10 Then Abraham took the knife and reached out to kill his son.
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay 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 the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said: 'Abraham, Abraham.' And he said: 'Here am I.'
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: 'Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou art a God-fearing man, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me.'
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.
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead 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 Abraham called the name of that place Adonai-jireh; as it is said to this day: 'In the mount where the LORD is seen.'
15 The angel [who was really Yahweh] called out to Abraham from heaven a second time.
And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven,
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,
and said: 'By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,
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].’
that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his 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 thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast hearkened to 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.
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
20 After these things happened, someone told Abraham, “Your brother Nahor’s wife, Milcah, has also given birth to children. She has eight sons.”
And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying: 'Behold, Milcah, she also hath borne children unto thy brother Nahor:
21 The oldest son was Uz. The next was Buz. After him was Kemuel, the father of Aram.
Uz his first-born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram;
22 After Kemuel was Kesad, then Hazo, then Pildash, then Jidlaph, then Bethuel,
and Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.'
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.
And Bethuel begot Rebekah; these eight did Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
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.
And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she also bore Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maacah.

< Genesis 22 >