The Binding of Isaac – Genesis 22: 1-19
- After these things Elohim tested Abraham, saying to him, “Abraham!” and Abraham said, “hinaini – Here I am.”
- and He said, “Take your son, your only one, the one you love, Isaac, and go forth to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering, on one of the mountains that I will show you.
- Abraham rose early and saddled his donkey, and he took with him two of his servants and Isaac his son, and he chopped wood for the offering, and he set out for the place that Elohim had mentioned to him.
- On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.
- And Abraham sai9d to his servant lads, “stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go there, we will worship and we shall return to you.
- And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, taking in his own hand the firestone and the knife. The two of them went on together.
- Isaac then said to his father Abraham, “Father” and Abraham answered “Here I am my son” and Isaac said, “Here is the firestone and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
- Abraham replied, “Elohim will see to the lamb for the burnt offering my son” and the two of them went on together.
- They came to the place that Elohim had shown him. There Abraham built the altar and arranged the wood, and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
- Abraham now reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
- But out of heaven a messenger of YaVeH called to him “Abraham, Abraham” and he replied “Here I am.”
- And the messenger then said” Do not lay your hand on the lad, and do nothing to him, for now I know that you are one who fears Elohim as you did not withhold your son, your only son from me.
- Abraham lifted his eyes and saw that now there was a ram that had just got caught by its horns in a thicket. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
- Abraham named that place YaVeH Yir’eh; to this day people say :” on the mountain God will be seen
- Then out of heaven an messenger of YaVeH called to Abraham a second time
- Saying: “By Myself I swear, says YaVeH. That because you did this deed and did not withhold your son, your only one,
- I will bless you greatly, and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands of the seashore, and your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their foes.
- And through your descendants the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you hearkened to My voice.”
- Abraham then returned to his servant lads, they got up and traveled together to Beersheba, and Abraham settled in Beersheba.
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