22 Some time later, God wanted to see if Abraham really trusted him. God said to him, ‘Abraham!’ Abraham replied, ‘Here I am.’ 2 God said, ‘Take your son and go to the land of Moriah. Take your only son Isaac, whom you love. You must offer him to me there as a burnt offering. I will show you the mountain where you must do this.’
3 Abraham got up early the next morning. He made his donkey ready for the journey. He took two servants with him, and also his son Isaac. First, he cut wood for the fire to make the burnt offering. Then he started on his journey to the place that God had told him. 4 On the third day of the journey, Abraham could see the place. It was not very far away. 5 He said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey. I will take the boy and we will go over there. We will worship God in that place and then we will come back to you.’ [ a ]
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering. He gave it to Isaac to carry. Abraham himself carried the fire and the knife. The two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac spoke to his father, Abraham. He said, ‘Father?’ Abraham replied ‘Yes my son, what is it?’ Isaac replied, ‘I see that the fire and the wood are here. But where is the lamb so that we can make the burnt offering?’ [ b ]
8 Abraham replied, ‘My son, God himself will bring the lamb for the burnt offering.’
The two of them continued to walk on together. 9 They came to the place that God told them. Abraham built an altar there. He put the wood on it, ready for the fire. Then he tied his son Isaac. He lifted him up and he put him on top of the wood on the altar. 10 Then Abraham took hold of the knife. He was ready to kill his son as a sacrifice.
11 But then the angel of the Lord spoke to Abraham from heaven. He said, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ Abraham replied, ‘Here I am.’ 12 The angel said, ‘Do not hurt the boy! Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you respect God and you obey him. Isaac is your only son and you agreed to offer him to me as a sacrifice. You did not try to keep him safe.’ [ c ]
13 Just then, Abraham looked round and he saw a male sheep behind him. Its horns were caught in some bushes. So he went and he took hold of the sheep. Abraham killed the sheep on the altar as a burnt offering to God. In that way, he killed the sheep as a sacrifice, instead of his son. [ d ]
14 Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will give me what I need.’ [ e ] People still say today, ‘On the mountain of the Lord , he will give us what we need.’
15 The angel of the Lord called from heaven to Abraham again. 16 The angel said, ‘This is what the Lord says: I promise that this is what I will do for you. You did not try to keep your son safe, but you offered him to me. And he was your only son. 17 Because you have done this, I will bless you. I will make your descendants become so many that people cannot count them. They will be as many as the stars that are in the sky. They will be as many as the pieces of sand on the shore by the sea. Your descendants will win against their enemies and their enemies' cities. 18 I will bless all the nations on the earth through your descendants. I will do this because you have obeyed me.’
19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, with Isaac. Together they all left to go to Beersheba. Abraham lived there for a time.
20 Later, someone told Abraham ‘Milcah also has given birth to children. Your brother Nahor is their father.’ 21 The names of the children were: Uz, the son who was born first. Then his brother Buz. Then Kemuel, who is the father of Aram. 22 Then five more sons: Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel. 23 Bethuel later became the father of Rebekah. Those were the eight sons of Milcah and Abraham's brother, Nahor. 24 Nahor also had a slave wife. Her name was Reumah. She also gave birth to sons for Nahor. Their names were: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.
22 After these things God decided to test Abraham’s faith. God said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Yes!”
2 Then God said, “Take your son to the land of Moriah and kill your son there as a sacrifice for me. This must be Isaac, your only son, the one you love. Use him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there. I will tell you which mountain.”
3 In the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took Isaac and two servants with him. He cut the wood for the sacrifice. Then they went to the place where God told them to go. 4 After they traveled three days, Abraham looked up, and in the distance he saw the place where they were going. 5 Then he said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go to that place and worship. Then we will come back to you later.”
6 Abraham took the wood for the sacrifice and put it on his son’s shoulder. Abraham took the special knife and fire. Then both he and his son went together to the place for worship.
7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!”
Abraham answered, “Yes, son?”
Isaac said, “I see the wood and the fire. But where is the lamb we will burn as a sacrifice?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself is providing the lamb for the sacrifice, my son.”
So both Abraham and his son went together to that place. 9 When they came to the place where God told them to go, Abraham built an altar. He carefully laid the wood on the altar. Then he tied up his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached for his knife to kill his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord stopped him. The angel called from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
Abraham answered, “Yes?”
12 The angel said, “Don’t kill your son or hurt him in any way. Now I can see that you do respect and obey God. I see that you are ready to kill your son, your only son, for me.”
13 Then Abraham noticed a ram whose horns were caught in a bush. So Abraham went and took the ram. He offered it, instead of his son, as a sacrifice to God. 14 So Abraham gave that place a name, “The Lord Provides.” [ a ] Even today people say, “On the mountain of the Lord , he will give us what we need.” [ b ]
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time. 16 The angel said, “You were ready to kill your only son for me. Since you did this for me, I make you this promise: I, the Lord , promise that 17 I will surely bless you and give you as many descendants as the stars in the sky. There will be as many people as sand on the seashore. And your people will live in cities that they will take from their enemies. 18 Every nation on the earth will be blessed through your descendants. I will do this because you obeyed me.”
19 Then Abraham went back to his servants. They all traveled back to Beersheba, and Abraham stayed there.
20 After all these things happened, a message was sent to Abraham. It said, “Your brother Nahor and his wife Milcah have children now. 21 The first son is Uz. The second son is Buz. The third son is Kemuel, the father of Aram. 22 Then there are Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel was the father of Rebekah. Milcah was the mother of these eight sons, and Nahor was the father. Nahor was Abraham’s brother. 24 Also Nahor had four other sons from his slave woman Reumah. The sons were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
22 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, 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 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
7 And Isaac spake 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 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a 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 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord , for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 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 sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;
21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,
22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.
23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.
22 Now it came about after these things, that ( A ) God tested Abraham, and said to him, “ ( B ) Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now ( C ) your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of ( D ) Moriah, and offer him there as a ( E ) burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” 3 So Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and ( F ) laid it on his son Isaac, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the ( G ) lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will [ a ] provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
9 Then they came to ( H ) the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built ( I ) the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and ( J ) laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to [ b ] slaughter his son. 11 But ( K ) the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now ( L ) I know that you [ c ] fear God, since you have not withheld ( M ) your son, your only son, from Me.” 13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place [ d ] The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord ( N ) it will [ e ] be provided.”
15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, “ ( O ) By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord , because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly ( P ) multiply your [ f ] seed as the stars of the heavens and as ( Q ) the sand, which is on the seashore; and ( R ) your [ g ] seed shall possess the gate of [ h ] their enemies. 18 And ( S ) in your [ i ] seed all the nations of the earth shall [ j ] be blessed, because you have ( T ) obeyed My voice.” 19 ( U ) So Abraham returned to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived in Beersheba.
20 Now it came about after these things, that Abraham was told, saying, “Behold, ( V ) Milcah [ k ] also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel”— 23 and it was Bethuel who fathered ( W ) Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, [ l ] also gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
22 Some time later God tested ( A ) Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” ( B ) he replied.
2 Then God said, “Take your son ( C ) , your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. ( D ) Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering ( E ) on a mountain I will show you. ( F ) ”
3 Early the next morning ( G ) 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. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He 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. ( H ) ”
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, ( I ) and he himself carried the fire and the knife. ( J ) As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac 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 ( K ) for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide ( L ) the lamb ( M ) for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, ( N ) Abraham built an altar ( O ) there and arranged the wood ( P ) on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, ( Q ) on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife ( R ) to slay his son. ( S ) 11 But the angel of the Lord ( T ) called out to him from heaven, ( U ) “Abraham! Abraham!” ( V )
“Here I am,” ( W ) 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, ( X ) because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. ( Y ) ”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram [ a ] caught by its horns. ( Z ) He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ( AA ) 14 So Abraham called ( AB ) that place The Lord ( AC ) Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. ( AD ) ”
15 The angel of the Lord ( AE ) called to Abraham from heaven ( AF ) a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, ( AG ) declares the Lord , that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ( AH ) 17 I will surely bless you ( AI ) and make your descendants ( AJ ) as numerous as the stars in the sky ( AK ) and as the sand on the seashore. ( AL ) Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, ( AM ) 18 and through your offspring [ b ] all nations on earth will be blessed, [ c ] ( AN ) because you have obeyed me.” ( AO )
19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. ( AP ) And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.
20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: ( AQ ) 21 Uz ( AR ) the firstborn, Buz ( AS ) his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel. ( AT ) ” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. ( AU ) Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor. ( AV ) 24 His concubine, ( AW ) whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.
