THE WORD OF ELOHIM

GENESIS

Chapter 22

     Some time afterward, Elohim put Abraham to the test.  He said to him, "Abraham," and he answered, "Here I am."  And he said, "Take your son, your favored one, Yischaq, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriyyah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you."  So early next morning, Abraham saddled his ass and took with him two of his servants and his son Yischaq.  He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place of which Elohim had told him.  On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place from afar.  Then Abraham said to his servants, "You stay here with the ass.  The boy and I will go up there, we will worship, and we will return to you."

     Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Yischaq.  He himself took the firestone and the knife, and the two walked off together.  Then Yischaq said to his father, Abraham, "Father!"  And he answered, "Yes, my son."  And he said, "Here are the firestone and the wood; but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"  And Abraham said, "Elohim will see to the sheep for his burnt offering, my son."  And the two of them walked on together.

     They arrived at the place of which Elohim had told him.  Abraham built an altar there, he laid out the wood, he bound his son Yischaq, he laid him on the altar on top of the wood.  And Abraham picked up the knife to slay his son.  Then an angel of Yehovah called to him from heaven:  "Abraham!  Abraham!"  And he answered, "Here I am."  And he said, "Do not raise your hand against the boy or do anything to him.  For now I know that you fear Elohim, since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from Me."  When Abraham looked up, his eye fell upon a ram, caught in the thicket by its horns.  So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.  And Abraham named that site Adonai-Yireh, whence the present saying, "on the mount of Yehovah there is vision."

     The angel of Yehovah called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By My-self I swear, Yehovah declares: Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your favored one, I will bestow my blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore, and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes.  All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my command." Abraham then returned to his servants, and they departed together for Beer-shava, and Abraham stayed in Beer-shava.

     Sometime later:  Abraham was told, "Milkah too has borne children to your brother Nachor:  Uz the first-born, and Buz his brother, and Qemuel the father of Aram; and Chesed, Chazo, Pildash, Yidlaph, and Bthue'el"―Bthue'el being the father of Rivqah.  These eight Milkah bore to Nachor, Abraham's brother.  And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore children:  Tebah, Gacham, Tachash, and Maakah.

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