Genesis 22

Sometime later God {decided to} test Abraham. So he called to him, “Abraham!” Abraham replied, “Yes, {Lord}?”

Then God commanded {him}, “Take your son {with you}, {yes,} your only son Isaac whom you love, and travel {with him} to the region of Moriah. There you are to burn him up {on an altar} as a sacrifice {to me}, on one of the mountains that I will show to you.”

So the next morning Abraham got up early and put a {pack} saddle on his donkey {to get it ready} {for the trip}. Then he got his son Isaac and two of his servants, and they chopped {some} {fire}wood that they would use to burn the sacrifice {and loaded it on the donkey}. Then they started traveling to the place that God had told Abraham {to go to}. \*

Three days later Abraham looked {ahead} and in the distance he could see the mountain {where they were headed}.

Then he told his servants, “You {two} stay here with the donkey, while my son and I go {to the mountain} over there and worship {God}. Then we will come back to you.”

Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering {off the donkey} and loaded {it} on his son Isaac{’s shoulder} {to carry}. He {himself} carried a fire {pot} {with hot coals in it} and a knife {to kill the sacrifice}. Then the two of them walked on together. \*

{As they walked,} Isaac said to Abraham, “Father?” Abraham replied, “Yes, my son?” Then Isaac asked {him}, “I see {that we have} the fire {coals} and the {fire}wood, but where {is} the lamb that {we} will burn as a sacrifice {to God}?”

Abraham answered {him}, “My son, God himself will provide a lamb for us to burn as a sacrifice {to him}.” Then they continued walking together {toward the mountain}. \*

When they reached the place that God had told him {to go to}, Abraham built a {stone} altar there and put the wood {on top of it}. Then he tied his son Isaac{’s arms and legs} {with rope} and laid him on top of the wood on the altar.

Then he picked up the knife {in order} to kill his son. \*

But one of God’s angels called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” And he replied, “Yes, {Lord}?”

Then the angel told {him}, “Do not harm your son or do anything {else} to him. Now I know that you revere me, since you {obeyed me and} did not refuse to sacrifice your son to me, {even though he is} your only son.” \*

Then Abraham looked around and there behind {him} he saw a ram that had its horns stuck in a bush. So he {released Isaac,} went {over to the ram} and untangled it. {Then he killed it} and burned it {on the altar} as a sacrifice {to God} in place of his son.

That is why Abraham named that place God-Yireh, {which means “God will provide”}. {Even} today people {still} say, “On God’s mountain he will provide what you need.” \*

Then God’s angel called to Abraham from heaven again.

He said, “This is what God declares {to you}: ‘With myself {as my own witness}, I vow {to you} that since you have obeyed me and did not hold back your son {from me}, {yes,} your only son,

I will abundantly bless you. In fact, I will give you so many descendants {that they will be} {as numerous} as the stars in the sky and {as numerous} as the {grains of} sand on the seashore. They will defeat their enemies and rule over them. \*

Through your descendants {I} will bless all the people groups on the earth. {I will do that} because you obeyed me.’”

After that, Abraham returned {with Isaac} to his {two} servants. Then together they {all} traveled {back} {home} to {the city of} Beersheba, and Abraham {and his family} stayed there. \*

Sometime later someone told Abraham, “I have news {for you}: Your brother Nahor and {his wife} Milcah also have {some} sons,

The oldest son {is} Uz, {the second is} Buz, and {the third is} Kemuel, {who is} the father of Aram.

{They also have sons named} Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” \*

Bethuel had {a daughter named} Rebekah. Those {are} the eight {sons} {that} Milcah had for Abraham’s brother Nahor.

Besides that, Nahor and his servant-wife Reumah also had {some sons, including} Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. \*