Genesis 22

1 Some time after these things, God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" Abraham answered, "Here I am." 2 He said, "Please take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him up there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will tell you about." 3 Early in the morning Abraham saddled his donkey. He took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place that God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. 5 Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you." 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. He carried the fire and the knife in his hand, and the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. He said, "My father!" Abraham answered, "Here I am, my son." Isaac said, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" 8 Abraham said, "God will see for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." And the two of them walked on together.

9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and laid out the wood. He tied up his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the messenger of the LORD called to him from the sky, "Abraham! Abraham!" He answered, "Here I am." 12 He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God. You have not held back your son, your only son, from me." 13 Abraham looked up and saw, behind, a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named that place "the LORD will see." As people say to this day, "On the mountain of the LORD he will be seen." 15 The messenger of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from the sky. 16 He said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD: because you have done this, and have not held back your son, your only son,

17 I will surely bless you. I will make your offspring as many as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the shore of the sea. Your offspring will take possession of the gate of his enemies. 18 All the nations of the land will bless themselves by your offspring, because you have listened to my voice." 19 Then Abraham went back to his young men, and they set out together for Beersheba. And Abraham lived in Beersheba.

20 Some time after these things, Abraham was told, "Milcah also has given birth to sons for your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel." 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these 8 sons to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maacah.