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

“Here I am,” Abraham replied.

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son. He is the one you love. Take Isaac. Go to the place called Moriah. Give your son to me there as a burnt offering. Sacrifice him on the mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took two of his servants and his son Isaac with him. He cut enough wood for the burnt offering. Then he started out for the place God had shown him. 4 On the third day Abraham saw the place a long way off. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go over there and worship. Then we’ll come back to you.”

6 Abraham had his son Isaac carry the wood for the burnt offering. He himself carried the fire and the knife. And the two of them walked on together. 7 Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said. “But where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them walked on together.

9 They reached the place God had shown Abraham. There Abraham built an altar. He arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son Isaac. Abraham placed him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand. He picked up the knife to kill his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven. He said, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” Abraham replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not harm him. Now I know that you would do anything for God. You have not held back from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked around. There in a bush he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram. He sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide. To this day people say, “It will be provided on the mountain of the Lord.”

15 The angel of the Lord called out to Abraham from heaven a second time. 16 He said, “I am giving you my word that I will bless you. I will bless you because of what you have done,” announces the Lord. “You have not held back your son, your only son. 17 So I will certainly bless you. I will make the children born into your family as many as the stars in the sky. I will make them as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They will take over the cities of their enemies. 18 All nations on earth will be blessed because of your children. All these things will happen because you have obeyed me.”

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants. They started out together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.