Later God tested Abraham, saying
to him, "Abraham"; and he answered, "Here am I." God said, "Take
your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of
Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the
mountains of which I shall tell you."
So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his ass and took
two of his servants with him, and his son Isaac. When he had split
the wood for the burnt-offering, he set out for the place of which
God had told him. On the third day, when Abraham looked up and saw
the place in the distance, he said to his servants, "Stay here with
the ass, while I and the lad go over there. When we have worshipped,
we will come back to you."
Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt-offering and laid it on
Isaac, his son. And he took the fire and the knife, and they both
went on together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said,
"My father!" and Abraham answered, "Yes, my son." Isaac said, "Here
is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a
burnt-offering?" Abraham answered, "My son, God will himself provide
a lamb for a burnt-offering." So the two went on together.
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built
the altar there and laid the wood on it and bound Isaac his son and
laid him on the altar upon the wood. Then Abraham reached out his
hand, and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of God
called to him from heaven, saying, "Abraham, Abraham!" and he
answered, "Here am I." And he said, "Do not put your hand upon the
boy, nor do anything to him, for now I know that you love God, for
you have not refused to give your son, your only son, to him."
Then Abraham looked up, and he saw a ram caught in the thicket by
his horns. So Abraham took the ram and offered him up as a
burnt-offering instead of his son. And he named the place God-jireh,
which means, "God will Provide."
The angel of God again called to Abraham and said, "God declares,
'Because you have done this thing and have not kept back your son,
your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will make your
children as many as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which
is on the seashore, so that they shall conquer their enemies, and
all the nations of the earth shall ask for themselves a blessing
like theirs, because you have obeyed my command.'"