Abraham Tested

22 Some time later God tested(A) Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,”(B) he replied.

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)

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. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 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)

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, 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?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide(L) the lamb(M) for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

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.

Nahor’s Sons

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.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 22:13 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text a ram behind him
  2. Genesis 22:18 Or seed
  3. Genesis 22:18 Or and all nations on earth will use the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20)

Abraham’s Faith Confirmed(A)

22 Now it came to pass after these things that (B)God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

Then He said, “Take now your son, (C)your only son Isaac, whom you (D)love, and go (E)to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a (F)burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the [a]lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will (G)come back to you.”

So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and (H)laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the [b]lamb for a burnt offering?”

And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the (I)lamb for a (J)burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and (K)laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the (L)Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

So he said, “Here I am.”

12 And He said, (M)“Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for (N)now I know that you fear God, since you have not (O)withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, [c]The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: (P)“By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son 17 blessing I will (Q)bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants (R)as the stars of the heaven (S)and as the sand which is on the seashore; and (T)your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 (U)In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, (V)because you have obeyed My voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to (W)Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

The Family of Nahor

20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed (X)Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 (Y)Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father (Z)of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 And (AA)Bethuel begot [d]Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 22:5 Or young man
  2. Genesis 22:7 Or goat
  3. Genesis 22:14 Heb. YHWH Yireh
  4. Genesis 22:23 Rebecca, Rom. 9:10

Abraham obedece a Dios

22 1-2 Algunos años después, Dios quiso ver si Abraham lo obedecía, así que lo llamó y le dijo:

«Abraham, quiero que me ofrezcas como sacrificio a Isaac, tu único hijo, a quien tanto amas. Llévalo a la región de Moria, al cerro que te voy a enseñar».

A la mañana siguiente Abraham madrugó, y cortó leña suficiente para hacer un gran fuego. Preparó su burro y se puso en camino al lugar que Dios le había señalado. Iba acompañado de su hijo Isaac y dos de sus sirvientes. 4-5 Al tercer día, Abraham les dijo a sus sirvientes: «Quédense aquí con el burro, mientras mi hijo y yo vamos hasta aquel cerro que se ve allá a lo lejos. Allí adoraremos a Dios, y luego regresaremos con ustedes».

Abraham tomó la leña y se la puso a Isaac sobre el hombro; luego tomó el fuego y el cuchillo, y los dos juntos se pusieron en marcha. Pero Isaac le dijo a Abraham:

—Padre mío, tenemos fuego y leña, pero ¿dónde está el cordero que vamos a ofrecerle a Dios?

Abraham le respondió:

—Ya Dios se encargará de darnos el cordero, hijo mío.

Y así siguieron juntos su camino. Cuando llegaron al lugar señalado por Dios, Abraham construyó un altar, y sobre él preparó la leña para el fuego; luego ató a su hijo Isaac y lo puso sobre el altar. 10 Ya tenía el cuchillo en la mano y estaba a punto de matar a su hijo, 11 cuando oyó que Dios lo llamaba desde el cielo. Abraham respondió, 12 y Dios le dijo:

«No le hagas daño al niño. Estoy convencido de que me obedeces, pues no te negaste a ofrecerme en sacrificio a tu único hijo».

13 En ese mismo instante, Abraham vio un carnero que tenía los cuernos trabados entre las ramas de un arbusto. Entonces tomó el carnero y se lo ofreció a Dios en lugar de su hijo. 14 Por eso Abraham llamó a ese lugar «Dios dará lo necesario». De allí viene el dicho que hasta hoy se escucha: «En su montaña Dios da lo necesario».

15 Por segunda vez Dios llamó a Abraham desde el cielo, 16-18 y le dijo:

«Por no haberme negado a tu único hijo, yo prometo bendecirte. Haré que tus descendientes sean tan numerosos como las estrellas del cielo, y como la arena del mar, que no se puede contar. Tus descendientes atacarán las ciudades de sus enemigos, y las conquistarán. Yo te juro que todos los pueblos de la tierra recibirán mis bendiciones por medio de tu descendencia, porque tú me obedeciste».

19 Después de esto, Abraham volvió a donde estaban sus sirvientes, y juntos regresaron a Beerseba, donde vivían.

Los hijos de Nahor

20-23 Algún tiempo después, alguien fue a decirle a Abraham: «Tu cuñada Milcá y tu hermano Nahor ya tienen ocho hijos».

Éstos son sus nombres:

Us,

Buz,

Quemuel,

Quésed,

Hazó,

Pildás,

Idlaf,

Betuel.

Us fue el primero de todos. Quemuel fue el padre de Aram, y Betuel fue el padre de Rebeca. 24 Además, Nahor tuvo cuatro hijos con Rumá, su segunda esposa:

Teba,

Gáham,

Tahas,

Maacá.