God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac
1Some time later God decided to test Abraham, to see if he really believed in Him. God called Abraham and Abraham answered: ‘Here I am.’
2God said: ‘Take your son Isaac, your only son whom you love. Go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt-offering on a mountain that I will show you.’
3Abraham got up early the next morning and he cut wood for the fire. He put everything on his donkey and he took Isaac and 2 slaves with him.
4After 3 days Abraham saw the place that God had shown him far away. 5Then he said to his slaves: ‘You must stay here with the donkey. My son and I will go over there to worship God. We will come back later.’
6Abraham took the wood for the burnt-offering and he put it on his son Isaac. Abraham took the knife and the burning coals to start the fire. Then they walked together.
7Isaac said to Abraham: ‘Father, we have the wood and the burning coals, but where is the lamb for the burnt-offering?’
8Abraham answered and said: ‘My son, God will give us a lamb for the burnt-offering.’
Abraham and Isaac walked further. 9When they came to the place where God told Abraham to go, Abraham built an altar and he put the wood on the altar. Then he took a rope and he tied up his son and he put him on the wood. 10He took the knife to kill Isaac.
11But the Angel_of_the_Lord shouted from heaven and He said: ‘Abraham, Abraham.’
Abraham said: ‘Here I am.’
12The Lord said: ‘Do not kill your son. Do not hurt him. Now I know that you fear God. You were willing to sacrifice your only son for Me.’
13Abraham looked and he saw a ram in a bush. The bush held the ram by its horns and the ram could not run away.
14Abraham named that place and said: ‘The Lord will give what we need.’
And today the people still say: ‘On the mountain of the Lord, He will give what we need.’
15The Angel_of_the_Lord talked from heaven a 2nd time and He said:
16‘Abraham, you were willing
to sacrifice your only son for Me.
Now I, the Lord, make a promise to you:
17I will bless you
and I will give you a very big family.
Your descendants will be more
than the stars in the sky,
more than the sand of the sea.
Your descendants will defeat their enemies,
and take their cities.
18You have listened to Me.
Now all the nations will ask Me
to bless them as I bless your descendants.’
19Abraham went back to his slaves and together they went back to Abraham's home in the town of Beersheba.
The children of Nahor
20Later someone told Abraham: ‘Your brother Nahor and his wife Milkah have also had children.’
21The name of their first son was Uz and his brothers were Buz and Kemuel. Kemuel was the father of Aram. 22The names of his other brothers were Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel. 23Bethuel was the father of Rebekah. Milkah and Nahor had 8 sons. 24Nahor had another wife. She was his concubine, and her name was Reumah. Reumah had 4 sons. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.
