1 Sometime later God tested Abraham. He called out to him, “Abraham!”

“I'm here,” Abraham replied.

2 God told him, “Go with your son, the one you love, your only son, to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll show you.”

3 Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled up his donkey. He took two servants and Isaac with him and went to cut firewood for the burnt offering. Then he left with them to go to the place God had told him about.

4 After traveling for three days Abraham could see the place in the distance. 5 He told his servants, “Wait here with the donkey while I go with the boy and worship God. Then we'll return.”

6 Abraham had Isaac carry the wood for the burnt offering, while he carried the fire and the knife, and they walked up together.

7 Isaac said to Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“Well, we have the fire and the wood, but where's the lamb for the burnt offering?” Isaac asked.

8 “God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied, and they went on walking up together.

9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and placed the wood on it. Then he bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Abraham picked up the knife, ready to slaughter his son.

11 But the angel of the Lord shouted to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes, I'm here,” he replied.

12 The angel said, “Don't touch the boy! Don't do anything to him, because now I know that you truly do what God tells you. You didn't refuse to give me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in some bushes. He brought the ram over and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham called the place “The Lord will Provide.” That's still a saying people use today: “the Lord will provide on his mountain.”

15 The angel of the Lord shouted again to Abraham from heaven, 16 “I swear by myself, says the Lord, that because you have done this and didn't refuse to give me your son, your only son, 17 you can be sure that I will bless you and give you many descendants. They will be as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sand of the seashore, and they will conquer their enemies.* “Conquer their enemies”: literally, “take possession of the gates of their enemies.” 18 All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your descendants because you did what I told you.”

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they went back together to Beersheba where Abraham was living.

20 Sometime later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has had sons for your brother Nahor.” 21 Uz was the firstborn, then his brother Buz, Kemuel (who became the ancestor of Arameans), 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23 (Bethuel was Rebekah's father.) Milcah had these eight sons for Abraham's brother Nahor. 24 In addition, Reumah his concubine had Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.